Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fes and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Fes: $672 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Fes
Learn more

Fes Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Fes

🇲🇦 Morocco

$672

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fes and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Fes and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $672 per month in Fes vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fes $672
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,030 per month in Fes vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fes $1,030
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,389 per month in Fes vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fes $1,389
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Fes is about 44% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Fes and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Fes 51% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.00 MAD 29.47

$10.92 MX$205

-72.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 MAD 296

$43.37 MX$815

-30.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 MAD 59.2

$11.78 MX$221

-48.90%

Cappuccino

$1.30 MAD 12.77

$3.81 MX$71.6

-65.88%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MAD 5.21

$1.28 MX$24.10

-58.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MAD 4.06

$0.78 MX$14.71

-47.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 MAD 35.51

$3.17 MX$59.5

13.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 MAD 39.56

$4.93 MX$92.7

-18.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 MAD 7.70

$1.41 MX$26.43

-44.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 MAD 5.66

$2.22 MX$41.66

-73.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MAD 16.91

$1.42 MX$26.64

21.13%

Eggs

$1.87 MAD 18.40

$2.52 MX$47.41

-25.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.89 MAD 97.2

$7.26 MX$137

36.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.47 MAD 43.94

$7.70 MX$145

-41.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.22 MAD 90.6

$12.69 MX$239

-27.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 MAD 19.23

$2.78 MX$52.3

-29.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 MAD 15.64

$1.37 MX$25.71

16.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 MAD 9.94

$2.55 MX$47.94

-60.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 MAD 9.85

$2.12 MX$39.90

-52.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 MAD 8.44

$1.94 MX$36.43

-55.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 MAD 10.20

$1.89 MX$35.44

-44.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 MAD 4.70

$1.15 MX$21.55

-58.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MAD 5.55

$1.18 MX$22.16

-51.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 MAD 41.71

$4.30 MX$80.7

-1.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.47 MAD 43.95

$9.95 MX$187

-55.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MAD 26.11

$1.58 MX$29.76

68.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 MAD 30.30

$2.67 MX$50.2

15.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 MAD 4.23

$0.55 MX$10.40

-21.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.24 MAD 101

$26.62 MX$500

-61.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 MAD 6.19

$4.97 MX$93.4

-87.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 MAD 6.69

$3.33 MX$62.6

-79.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MAD 14.68

$1.44 MX$27.14

3.47%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.8K MAD 332.0K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

63.45%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.5K MAD 339.2K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

47.07%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$32.52 MAD 320

$84.8 MX$1,594

-61.65%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.21 MAD 100

$23.41 MX$440

-56.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.13 MAD 355

$28.66 MX$539

26.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.55 MAD 261

$57.1 MX$1,072

-53.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.59 MAD 183

$28.91 MX$543

-35.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MAD 49.61

$5.14 MX$96.6

-1.75%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$90.8 MAD 893

$207 MX$3,882

-56.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,126 MAD 60.2K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

55.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.39 MAD 181

$43.35 MX$815

-57.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 MAD 508

$41.44 MX$779

24.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 MAD 815

$74.2 MX$1,394

11.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 MAD 547

$89.3 MX$1,677

-37.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 MAD 3,017

$980 MX$18.4K

-68.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 MAD 1,779

$381 MX$7,157

-52.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 MAD 5,198

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-69.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 MAD 2,385

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-77.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$706 MAD 6,939

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-82.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$330 MAD 3,244

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-94.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$479 MAD 4,712

$735 MX$13.8K

-34.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-56.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Fes: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Fes

$181 27%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 110% $200

Groceries & Markets

Fes

$178 26.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 43.3% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Fes

$94 14%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 19% $18

Eating Out

Fes

$88 13%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 131% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fes

$79 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 73.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Fes

$37 5.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 83.7% $31

Getting Around

Fes

$16 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 216% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $307 in Fes versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 53% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Fes versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $178 vs $255 – making Fes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Fes

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

00:29 12:29 AM

5 h behind Fes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,167,842

149,923

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.17 USD

100 MAD = 9.11 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.83 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.98 MAD (100 MAD = 9.11 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Fes Playa del Carmen 8,040 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Fes
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Fes vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 79% more than Fes, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,007 per month in Fes and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $307 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Fes and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $672 in Fes and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Fes about 44% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Fes, where all-in costs run around $672, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Fes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Fes – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Fes. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.