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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,001 in Flacq versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,652 in Flacq versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,302 in Flacq versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Flacq costs roughly 20% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Flacq 25% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Flacq
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.17 MUR 290
$11.99 MX$210
-48.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.36 MUR 2,084
$41.78 MX$733
6.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.58 MUR 309
$10.75 MX$189
-38.79%
Cappuccino
$2.67 MUR 126
$3.50 MX$61.3
-23.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 MUR 44.19
$1.45 MX$25.41
-35.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 MUR 27.70
$0.88 MX$15.52
-32.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.39 MUR 65.1
$2.95 MX$51.7
-52.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 MUR 130
$4.51 MX$79.1
-38.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Flacq
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MUR 67.7
$1.43 MX$25.12
0.70%
White Bread (500g)
$0.65 MUR 30.70
$1.84 MX$32.23
-64.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 MUR 62.8
$1.57 MX$27.51
-14.65%
Eggs
$2.66 MUR 125
$2.51 MX$44.06
5.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.04 MUR 472
$8.28 MX$145
21.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.08 MUR 286
$8.43 MX$148
-27.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.51 MUR 494
$10.68 MX$187
-1.59%
Apples (1kg)
$1.98 MUR 93.0
$2.61 MX$45.76
-24.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MUR 88.9
$1.44 MX$25.22
31.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.51 MUR 70.8
$1.96 MX$34.41
-22.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.65 MUR 125
$2.09 MX$36.74
26.79%
Potato (1kg)
$0.97 MUR 45.59
$1.85 MX$32.47
-47.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 MUR 47.11
$2.17 MX$38.02
-53.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.81 MUR 37.86
$1.03 MX$18.09
-21.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 MUR 26.86
$1.07 MX$18.84
-46.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.94 MUR 279
$4.10 MX$72.0
44.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.71 MUR 456
$10.17 MX$178
-4.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 MUR 82.1
$1.68 MX$29.38
4.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 MUR 101
$2.53 MX$44.31
-14.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Flacq
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.00 MUR 47.11
$0.51 MX$8.93
96.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.44 MUR 1,524
$26.04 MX$457
24.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.39 MUR 206
$3.23 MX$56.7
35.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.62 MUR 123
$2.41 MX$42.19
8.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.70 MUR 737
$3.23 MX$56.6
386.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MUR 68.0
$1.32 MX$23.17
9.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K MUR 1.7M
$29.7K MX$520.9K
20.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.3K MUR 1.4M
$23.7K MX$415.0K
23.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Flacq
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$50.3 MUR 2,362
$82.0 MX$1,439
-38.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.32 MUR 861
$22.95 MX$403
-20.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.73 MUR 1,538
$30.11 MX$528
8.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Flacq
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.87 MUR 1,826
$52.0 MX$912
-25.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.53 MX$325
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.99 MUR 281
$4.98 MX$87.3
20.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Flacq
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$151 MUR 7,115
$197 MX$3,463
-23.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,973 MUR 186.7K
$5,336 MX$93.6K
-25.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Flacq
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.84 MUR 2,342
$35.60 MX$624
40.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.79 MUR 2,104
$40.33 MX$707
11.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.6 MUR 3,929
$78.8 MX$1,381
6.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.8 MUR 3,654
$88.9 MX$1,560
-12.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Flacq
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$522 MUR 24.5K
$947 MX$16.6K
-44.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$346 MUR 16.2K
$474 MX$8,314
-27.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$953 MUR 44.8K
$1,644 MX$28.8K
-42.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$716 MUR 33.6K
$1,211 MX$21.2K
-40.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,056 MX$71.1K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,470 MX$113.5K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Flacq
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,110 MUR 52.1K
$654 MX$11.5K
69.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.25
11.42
-45.27%

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

Last update for Flacq: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $522 in Flacq and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Flacq pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Flacq vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $249, with Flacq cheaper for home cooking.

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
Flacq vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Flacq or Playa del Carmen?
Flacq wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Flacq the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Flacq or in Playa del Carmen?
Average pay runs 70% higher in Flacq, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Flacq compared to Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $522 in Flacq versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Flacq and in Playa del Carmen?
Childcare runs $151 in Flacq versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Flacq or in Playa del Carmen?
Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Flacq or in Playa del Carmen?
At $1,001 in Flacq versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Flacq but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Flacq the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Flacq or Playa del Carmen?
Both work as nomad bases, but Flacq delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,001 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Flacq hard to pass up.
How safe is Flacq compared to Playa del Carmen?
Safety-wise, Flacq and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Flacq gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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