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 $645 per month in Fes vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,031 per month in Fes vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,417 per month in Fes vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fes is about 49% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Fes and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Fes 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 MAD 34.73

$11.87 MX$204

-68.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.19 MAD 307

$42.90 MX$736

-22.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 MAD 54.5

$10.65 MX$183

-44.60%

Cappuccino

$1.57 MAD 14.49

$3.45 MX$59.2

-54.49%

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

$0.48 MAD 4.47

$1.50 MX$25.81

-68.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MAD 3.77

$0.95 MX$16.28

-56.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 MAD 27.51

$3.03 MX$51.9

-1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MAD 30.97

$4.61 MX$79.1

-27.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 MAD 8.33

$1.38 MX$23.61

-34.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 MAD 5.21

$1.85 MX$31.70

-69.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 MAD 15.23

$1.61 MX$27.65

2.48%

Eggs

$2.00 MAD 18.47

$2.59 MX$44.51

-22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.28 MAD 114

$8.26 MX$142

48.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.21 MAD 48.19

$8.37 MX$144

-37.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.82 MAD 90.9

$10.66 MX$183

-7.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 MAD 10.47

$2.63 MX$45.12

-57.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 MAD 11.61

$1.49 MX$25.53

-15.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 MAD 6.77

$1.92 MX$32.94

-61.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 MAD 8.05

$2.09 MX$35.81

-58.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.44

$1.86 MX$31.88

-56.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 MAD 8.15

$2.26 MX$38.81

-61.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 MAD 4.35

$1.06 MX$18.23

-55.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 MAD 5.92

$1.09 MX$18.67

-41.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MAD 38.17

$4.15 MX$71.2

-0.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 MAD 46.21

$10.39 MX$178

-51.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 MAD 23.22

$1.72 MX$29.59

45.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 MAD 30.70

$2.61 MX$44.85

27.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 MAD 4.19

$0.54 MX$9.30

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.06 MAD 102

$26.94 MX$462

-58.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 MAD 6.31

$3.13 MX$53.7

-78.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 MAD 4.49

$2.51 MX$43.09

-80.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 MAD 39.74

$3.15 MX$54.1

36.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MAD 14.64

$1.27 MX$21.88

24.41%

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

$37.7K MAD 348.8K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

24.15%

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

$29.6K MAD 274.2K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

25.79%

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

$34.34 MAD 318

$83.0 MX$1,425

-58.63%

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

$11.05 MAD 102

$22.71 MX$390

-51.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.36 MAD 235

$29.46 MX$506

-13.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.62 MAD 246

$51.0 MX$875

-47.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.84 MAD 230

$18.33 MX$315

35.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 MAD 49.54

$4.93 MX$84.5

8.72%

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

$53.7 MAD 497

$197 MX$3,386

-72.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,330 MAD 30.8K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-36.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.27 MAD 308

$36.90 MX$633

-9.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.72 MAD 312

$39.89 MX$685

-15.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 MAD 791

$80.0 MX$1,373

6.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.3 MAD 586

$89.5 MX$1,536

-29.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 MAD 2,639

$956 MX$16.4K

-70.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 MAD 1,375

$477 MX$8,189

-68.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 MAD 3,808

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-74.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 MAD 2,010

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-82.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$743 MAD 6,869

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-81.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$356 MAD 3,292

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-94.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$513 MAD 4,747

$667 MX$11.4K

-23.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.42

-60.60%

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

Last update for Fes: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $285 in Fes versus $956 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 30% 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 $33.00 in Fes versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $250 – 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 97% 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 $968 per month in Fes and $1,906 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 $33.00 in Fes and $43.00 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 $645 in Fes and $1,271 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 $645, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $645 versus $1,271 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.