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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Forbes versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,312 in Forbes versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,370 in Forbes versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Forbes is roughly 75% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Forbes is 68% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.01 A$22.26

$11.94 MX$208

34.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 A$107

$42.75 MX$744

80.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 A$13.28

$10.59 MX$184

-9.82%

Cappuccino

$3.38 A$4.70

$3.62 MX$63.0

-6.63%

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

$2.61 A$3.63

$1.47 MX$25.54

77.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.02

$0.94 MX$16.41

130.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 A$9.06

$3.09 MX$53.8

111.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 A$9.63

$4.46 MX$77.6

55.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 A$1.97

$1.43 MX$24.80

-0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 A$3.38

$1.88 MX$32.79

29.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 A$2.75

$1.63 MX$28.34

21.47%

Eggs

$4.36 A$6.06

$2.64 MX$45.99

65.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.01

$8.21 MX$143

5.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 A$11.98

$8.29 MX$144

3.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 A$19.10

$11.10 MX$193

23.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.50

$2.65 MX$46.14

22.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.91

$1.50 MX$26.11

87.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.10

$1.99 MX$34.59

48.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.66

$2.08 MX$36.13

95.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.32

$1.79 MX$31.11

33.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.92

$2.18 MX$37.87

-3.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 A$2.93

$1.08 MX$18.73

95.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.13

$1.04 MX$18.04

47.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.13 A$43.28

$3.97 MX$69.1

684.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 A$18.73

$10.20 MX$178

32.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.48 A$6.22

$1.73 MX$30.04

158.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.27

$2.50 MX$43.46

109.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 A$3.64

$0.52 MX$9.02

403.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 A$89.0

$26.97 MX$469

137.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.92

$3.14 MX$54.7

12.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 A$2.13

$2.40 MX$41.80

-36.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 A$46.21

$3.09 MX$53.7

975.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.57

$1.27 MX$22.16

-11.02%

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

$28.6K A$39.8K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-7.34%

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

$22.3K A$31.0K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

-4.38%

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

$186 A$258

$82.0 MX$1,427

126.77%

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

$27.73 A$38.55

$22.45 MX$391

23.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 A$74.0

$29.66 MX$516

79.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.41 A$68.7

$51.9 MX$903

-4.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 A$21.52

$18.67 MX$325

-17.09%

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 A$18.32

$4.97 MX$86.5

165.19%

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

$1,600 A$2,224

$198 MX$3,442

709.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$16.4K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

124.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 A$94.4

$36.34 MX$632

86.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$71.2

$40.05 MX$697

27.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 A$136

$79.9 MX$1,390

22.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$150

$88.9 MX$1,547

21.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,777

$963 MX$16.8K

32.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 A$1,488

$465 MX$8,086

130.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 A$2,816

$1,596 MX$27.8K

26.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 A$2,336

$1,209 MX$21.0K

39.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,262 A$8,704

$3,942 MX$68.6K

58.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,125 A$7,124

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-20.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.42

-44.48%

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

Last update for Forbes: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,278 in Forbes and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Forbes vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $251 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

Forbes vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Forbes and Playa del Carmen differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,253 vs $1,287 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,380 in Forbes and $1,930 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,278 in Forbes versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,253 per month in Forbes versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 138% less than in Forbes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,253 in Forbes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Forbes. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Forbes 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Forbes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.