Cost of Living Comparison Between Flic en Flac and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Flic en Flac and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,176 in Flic en Flac versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,768 in Flic en Flac versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,360 in Flic en Flac versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Flic en Flac costs roughly 9% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Flic en Flac 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.69 MUR 313

$11.94 MX$208

-43.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.94 MUR 2,288

$42.75 MX$744

14.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 MUR 334

$10.59 MX$184

-32.48%

Cappuccino

$2.58 MUR 120

$3.62 MX$63.0

-28.73%

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

$1.02 MUR 47.74

$1.47 MX$25.54

-30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 MUR 27.70

$0.94 MX$16.41

-37.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.35 MUR 204

$3.09 MX$53.8

40.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 MUR 153

$4.46 MX$77.6

-26.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MUR 66.9

$1.43 MX$24.80

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.00

$1.88 MX$32.79

-62.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.0

$1.63 MX$28.34

-18.40%

Eggs

$2.11 MUR 98.6

$2.64 MX$45.99

-20.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.94 MUR 511

$8.21 MX$143

33.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 MUR 290

$8.29 MX$144

-25.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 MUR 585

$11.10 MX$193

12.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 92.1

$2.65 MX$46.14

-25.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MUR 90.9

$1.50 MX$26.11

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MUR 66.9

$1.99 MX$34.59

-28.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 MUR 129

$2.08 MX$36.13

32.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 46.61

$1.79 MX$31.11

-44.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 44.29

$2.18 MX$37.87

-56.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 MUR 39.43

$1.08 MX$18.73

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 MUR 22.00

$1.04 MX$18.04

-54.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 MUR 256

$3.97 MX$69.1

38.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 MUR 411

$10.20 MX$178

-13.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 81.0

$1.73 MX$30.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MUR 64.9

$2.50 MX$43.46

-44.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MUR 42.14

$0.52 MX$9.02

73.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 MUR 207

$3.14 MX$54.7

41.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 MUR 123

$2.40 MX$41.80

9.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.04 MUR 516

$3.09 MX$53.7

257.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MUR 68.6

$1.27 MX$22.16

15.75%

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

$35.9K MUR 1.7M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

16.11%

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

$29.4K MUR 1.4M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

26.06%

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

$50.5 MUR 2,358

$82.0 MX$1,427

-38.48%

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

$18.07 MUR 845

$22.45 MX$391

-19.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.92 MUR 1,539

$29.66 MX$516

10.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.35 MUR 2,214

$51.9 MX$903

-8.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 MUR 282

$4.97 MX$86.5

21.33%

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

$109 MUR 5,104

$198 MX$3,442

-44.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,636 MUR 123.2K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-50.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.64 MUR 1,573

$36.34 MX$632

-7.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.30 MUR 1,557

$40.05 MX$697

-16.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MUR 5,139

$79.9 MX$1,390

37.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 MUR 4,421

$88.9 MX$1,547

6.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$573 MUR 26.8K

$963 MX$16.8K

-40.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 MUR 23.3K

$465 MX$8,086

7.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 MUR 43.9K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-41.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MUR 36.0K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-36.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$456 MUR 21.3K

$720 MX$12.5K

-36.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-47.46%

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

Last update for Flic en Flac: April 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $573 in Flic en Flac and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 58% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Flic en Flac vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $220 vs $251, with Flic en Flac 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

Flic en Flac vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Flic en Flac wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Flic en Flac the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 58% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $573 in Flic en Flac versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $109 in Flic en Flac versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Flic en Flac – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,176 in Flic en Flac versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Flic en Flac but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Flic en Flac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Flic en Flac delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,176 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Flic en Flac hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Flic en Flac 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.

Expats usually find Flic en Flac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.