Cost of Living Comparison Between Fes and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Fes and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $700 per month in Fes vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,063 per month in Fes vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,427 per month in Fes vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fes is about 45% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Fes and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Fes 49% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.13 MAD 29.71

$11.60 MX$200

-73.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.21 MAD 305

$47.11 MX$812

-31.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 MAD 58.9

$11.88 MX$205

-47.73%

Cappuccino

$1.32 MAD 12.52

$3.98 MX$68.6

-66.83%

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

$0.59 MAD 5.61

$1.43 MX$24.60

-58.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MAD 3.71

$0.82 MX$14.22

-52.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 MAD 35.30

$3.19 MX$55.0

16.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MAD 39.79

$6.79 MX$117

-38.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 MAD 8.11

$1.68 MX$28.89

-49.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 MAD 5.53

$2.20 MX$37.88

-73.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MAD 16.82

$1.71 MX$29.45

3.51%

Eggs

$1.87 MAD 17.74

$2.74 MX$47.26

-31.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 MAD 96.9

$9.58 MX$165

6.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.53 MAD 42.99

$9.01 MX$155

-49.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.52 MAD 90.3

$12.81 MX$221

-25.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 MAD 18.17

$2.89 MX$49.81

-33.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MAD 15.52

$1.50 MX$25.81

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 MAD 10.01

$2.15 MX$37.03

-50.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 MAD 9.83

$2.26 MX$38.96

-53.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 MAD 8.55

$1.98 MX$34.15

-54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 MAD 10.07

$1.99 MX$34.30

-46.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 MAD 4.31

$1.23 MX$21.28

-63.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MAD 5.65

$1.20 MX$20.63

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MAD 41.38

$4.55 MX$78.5

-4.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.76 MAD 45.18

$10.37 MX$179

-54.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 MAD 27.32

$1.62 MX$27.91

77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MAD 31.18

$2.88 MX$49.67

14.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 MAD 4.16

$0.60 MX$10.35

-26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.71 MAD 102

$28.80 MX$497

-62.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 MAD 5.72

$5.39 MX$92.9

-88.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 MAD 6.68

$3.73 MX$64.3

-81.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MAD 13.91

$1.54 MX$26.48

-4.55%

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

$35.7K MAD 338.1K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

58.11%

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

$35.4K MAD 336.1K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

36.02%

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

$32.78 MAD 311

$91.4 MX$1,576

-64.13%

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

$10.46 MAD 99.2

$25.20 MX$435

-58.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.07 MAD 352

$31.24 MX$539

18.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.20 MAD 258

$67.2 MX$1,159

-59.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.79 MAD 188

$29.11 MX$502

-32.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.24 MAD 49.73

$4.86 MX$83.8

7.82%

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

$96.1 MAD 911

$224 MX$3,856

-57.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,357 MAD 60.3K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

50.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.45 MAD 184

$47.10 MX$812

-58.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 MAD 511

$44.29 MX$764

21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 MAD 790

$80.1 MX$1,381

3.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 MAD 560

$92.7 MX$1,598

-36.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$317 MAD 3,011

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-70.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 MAD 1,758

$390 MX$6,728

-52.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$562 MAD 5,330

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-73.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 MAD 2,399

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-80.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$730 MAD 6,923

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-81.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$339 MAD 3,219

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-94.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$506 MAD 4,796

$758 MX$13.1K

-33.30%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $317 in Fes versus $1,063 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 50% 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 $32.00 in Fes versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $276 – making Fes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 81% more than Fes, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,050 per month in Fes and $1,899 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Fes and $47.00 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 $700 in Fes and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fes, where all-in costs run around $700, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Fes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fes costs $700 versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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