Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fond du Lac, WI and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Fond du Lac, WI: $986 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Playa del Carmen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Fond du Lac, WI, United States
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Fond du Lac, WI
🇺🇸 United States
$986
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fond du Lac, WI 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 Fond du Lac, WI and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $986 in Fond du Lac, WI versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Fond du Lac, WI $986
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Fond du Lac, WI versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Fond du Lac, WI $1,651
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,316 in Fond du Lac, WI versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Fond du Lac, WI $2,316
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Fond du Lac, WI costs roughly 18% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Fond du Lac, WI 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fond du Lac, WI
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.53 $12.53
$10.92 MX$205
14.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.7 $67.7
$43.37 MX$815
56.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.02 $8.02
$11.78 MX$221
-31.92%
Cappuccino
$4.04 $4.04
$3.81 MX$71.6
6.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 $2.93
$1.28 MX$24.10
128.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 $2.25
$0.78 MX$14.71
188.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.90 $3.90
$3.17 MX$59.5
23.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.13 $6.13
$4.93 MX$92.7
24.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fond du Lac, WI
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.77 $0.77
$1.41 MX$26.43
-45.39%
White Bread (500g)
$2.68 $2.68
$2.22 MX$41.66
20.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.42 MX$26.64
105.63%
Eggs
$3.15 $3.15
$2.52 MX$47.41
25.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.78 $16.78
$7.26 MX$137
131.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.31 $11.31
$7.70 MX$145
46.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.99 $12.99
$12.69 MX$239
2.36%
Apples (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$2.78 MX$52.3
57.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.37 MX$25.71
21.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.43 $3.43
$2.55 MX$47.94
34.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.08 $6.08
$2.12 MX$39.90
186.79%
Potato (1kg)
$4.74 $4.74
$1.94 MX$36.43
144.33%
Onion (1kg)
$2.61 $2.61
$1.89 MX$35.44
38.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.97 $0.97
$1.15 MX$21.55
-15.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.18 MX$22.16
50.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.20 $11.20
$4.30 MX$80.7
160.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.16 $8.16
$9.95 MX$187
-17.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.58 MX$29.76
11.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.67 MX$50.2
-
🚌 Getting Around
Fond du Lac, WI
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.55 MX$10.40
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$500
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.98 $9.98
$4.97 MX$93.4
100.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$3.33 MX$62.6
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.79 $19.79
$5.36 MX$101
269.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.44 MX$27.14
-34.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.5K $24.5K
$20.7K MX$388.4K
18.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$23.5K MX$441.0K
8.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fond du Lac, WI
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 $99.4
$84.8 MX$1,594
17.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.66 $37.66
$23.41 MX$440
60.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.0 $51.0
$28.66 MX$539
78.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fond du Lac, WI
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.1 MX$1,072
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$543
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.82 $11.82
$5.14 MX$96.6
129.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fond du Lac, WI
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,492 $1,492
$207 MX$3,882
622.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$3,927 MX$73.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fond du Lac, WI
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.6 $56.6
$43.35 MX$815
30.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.39 $47.39
$41.44 MX$779
14.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.5 $88.5
$74.2 MX$1,394
19.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$227 $227
$89.3 MX$1,677
154.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fond du Lac, WI
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,189 $1,189
$980 MX$18.4K
21.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$381 MX$7,157
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,472 $1,472
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-13.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,022 $2,022
$3,943 MX$74.1K
-48.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,007 $2,007
$6,158 MX$115.7K
-67.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fond du Lac, WI
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,964 $2,964
$735 MX$13.8K
303.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.43
11.45
-43.84%

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

Last update for Fond du Lac, WI: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Fond du Lac, WI
$350 *
Playa del Carmen
$255 27.3% $96
Eating Out
Fond du Lac, WI
$225
Playa del Carmen
$202 10.1% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Fond du Lac, WI
$189
Playa del Carmen
$112 40.8% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fond du Lac, WI
$188
Playa del Carmen
$137 27.2% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Fond du Lac, WI
$24 *
Playa del Carmen
$67 185% $44
Getting Around
Fond du Lac, WI
$10 *
Playa del Carmen
$50 406% $40
Accommodation & Living
Fond du Lac, WI
- *
Playa del Carmen
$381

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,189 in Fond du Lac, WI and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fond du Lac, WI pays about 4 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Fond du Lac, WI vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Fond du Lac, WI
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
22:12 10:12 PM
23:12 11:12 PM
1 h ahead of Fond du Lac, WI
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
43,021
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fond du Lac, WI Playa del Carmen 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Fond du Lac, WI
  • 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
Fond du Lac, WI vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Fond du Lac, WI and in Playa del Carmen?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $986 in Fond du Lac, WI and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Fond du Lac, WI is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Fond du Lac, WI or Playa del Carmen?
Average pay in Fond du Lac, WI is about 4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Fond du Lac, WI and in Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,189 in Fond du Lac, WI versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Fond du Lac, WI and Playa del Carmen?
Childcare runs $1,492 in Fond du Lac, WI versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $68 in Fond du Lac, WI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $986 in Fond du Lac, WI versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Fond du Lac, WI but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Fond du Lac, WI the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Fond du Lac, WI and Playa del Carmen?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Fond du Lac, WI vs other spots: cost of living compared

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