Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fontana, CA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,395 in Fontana, CA, rent and utilities included – about $26,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Fontana, CA
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Fontana, CA Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Fontana, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,395

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fontana, CA 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 Fontana, CA and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,395 per month in Fontana, CA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fontana, CA $3,395
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $5,018 per month in Fontana, CA vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fontana, CA $5,018
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $6,640 per month in Fontana, CA vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fontana, CA $6,640
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Fontana, CA costs about 182% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fontana, CA sits 149% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 $20.08

$10.92 MX$205

83.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$43.37 MX$814

81.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.78 MX$221

24.96%

Cappuccino

$5.73 $5.73

$3.81 MX$71.5

50.39%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$1.28 MX$24.07

165.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.78 MX$14.70

216.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.28 $7.28

$3.17 MX$59.5

129.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.61 $9.61

$4.93 MX$92.7

94.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.41 MX$26.40

-25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.22 MX$41.62

86.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$1.42 MX$26.61

232.39%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.52 MX$47.36

100.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$7.26 MX$136

80.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$7.70 MX$144

15.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.70 $15.70

$12.69 MX$238

23.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.78 MX$52.3

69.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.37 MX$25.68

58.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.55 MX$47.89

53.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.12 MX$39.86

157.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.94 MX$36.39

93.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.89 MX$35.41

16.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.15 MX$21.53

74.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.18 MX$22.13

61.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$4.30 MX$80.6

172.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$9.95 MX$187

53.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.58 MX$29.73

27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.67 MX$50.1

52.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.43 $45.43

$26.62 MX$500

70.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 $6.12

$4.97 MX$93.3

23.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.44 MX$27.11

6.25%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

36.89%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

10.82%

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

$221 $221

$84.8 MX$1,592

161.08%

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

$79.0 $79.0

$23.41 MX$439

237.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 $60.0

$28.66 MX$538

109.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 $15.18

$5.14 MX$96.5

195.33%

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

$1,195 $1,195

$207 MX$3,878

478.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$43.35 MX$814

31.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 $40.72

$41.44 MX$778

-1.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$74.2 MX$1,393

25.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$89.3 MX$1,676

15.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 $1,970

$980 MX$18.4K

101.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,071 $2,071

$381 MX$7,150

443.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,187 $3,187

$1,708 MX$32.1K

86.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 $3,737

$1,075 MX$20.2K

247.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,906 $4,906

$735 MX$13.8K

567.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

11.45

-44.89%

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

Last update for Fontana, CA: 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.

Accommodation & Living

Fontana, CA

$2.1K 61%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 81.6% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Fontana, CA

$397 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 35.8% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fontana, CA

$360 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 62% $224

Eating Out

Fontana, CA

$353 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 42.6% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Fontana, CA

$132 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 15.6% $21

Getting Around

Fontana, CA

$52 * 1.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 2.1% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Fontana, CA

$30 * 0.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 122% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,970 in Fontana, CA versus $980 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 in Fontana, CA are about 6.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Fontana, CA versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fontana, CA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:43 2:43 PM

17:43 5:43 PM

3 h ahead of Fontana, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,000

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fontana, CA Playa del Carmen 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fontana, CA
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

Fontana, CA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fontana, CA costs about 182% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $5,093 per month in Fontana, CA and $1,806 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,970 in Fontana, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,395 in Fontana, CA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 65% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 41% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Fontana, CA at $3,395. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fontana, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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