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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,117 in Forster versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,104 in Forster versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,090 in Forster versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Forster is roughly 67% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Forster is 58% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.14 A$22.81

$11.87 MX$204

35.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$112

$42.90 MX$736

85.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 A$11.78

$10.65 MX$183

-21.78%

Cappuccino

$3.33 A$4.71

$3.45 MX$59.2

-3.48%

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

$2.49 A$3.52

$1.50 MX$25.81

66.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 A$2.85

$0.95 MX$16.28

112.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.54 A$9.24

$3.03 MX$51.9

115.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.24

$4.61 MX$79.1

11.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 A$1.45

$1.38 MX$23.61

-26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 A$3.96

$1.85 MX$31.70

51.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.34

$1.61 MX$27.65

46.58%

Eggs

$3.02 A$4.26

$2.59 MX$44.51

16.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 A$12.23

$8.26 MX$142

4.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 A$9.38

$8.37 MX$144

-20.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 A$20.11

$10.66 MX$183

33.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.12

$2.63 MX$45.12

11.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 A$2.69

$1.49 MX$25.53

27.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.78

$1.92 MX$32.94

2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 A$6.35

$2.09 MX$35.81

115.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 A$2.32

$1.86 MX$31.88

-11.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 A$1.36

$2.26 MX$38.81

-57.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 A$2.72

$1.06 MX$18.23

82.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 A$1.77

$1.09 MX$18.67

14.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.89 A$46.47

$4.15 MX$71.2

692.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.14 A$19.98

$10.39 MX$178

36.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.67

$1.72 MX$29.59

174.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 A$7.76

$2.61 MX$44.85

110.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 A$3.70

$0.54 MX$9.30

385.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 A$92.9

$26.94 MX$462

144.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 A$5.41

$3.13 MX$53.7

22.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.27

$2.51 MX$43.09

-35.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.7 A$73.0

$3.15 MX$54.1

1541.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.68

$1.27 MX$21.88

-6.30%

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

$28.4K A$40.2K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-6.35%

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

$22.3K A$31.5K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-5.40%

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

$64.9 A$91.6

$83.0 MX$1,425

-21.87%

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

$24.01 A$33.92

$22.71 MX$390

5.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 A$73.9

$29.46 MX$506

77.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.35 A$68.3

$51.0 MX$875

-5.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.77 A$22.28

$18.33 MX$315

-13.97%

Cinema Ticket

$12.27 A$17.34

$4.93 MX$84.5

148.88%

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

$327 A$462

$197 MX$3,386

65.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,843 A$5,430

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-27.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 A$91.0

$36.90 MX$633

74.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 A$83.2

$39.89 MX$685

47.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 A$138

$80.0 MX$1,373

22.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$183

$89.5 MX$1,536

45.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 A$1,799

$956 MX$16.4K

33.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 A$1,482

$477 MX$8,189

119.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 A$2,851

$1,646 MX$28.3K

22.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 A$2,355

$1,225 MX$21.0K

36.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,544 A$7,833

$3,918 MX$67.2K

41.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,914 A$8,356

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-8.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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 Forster: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,273 in Forster and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Forster vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $311 vs $250 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

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

Forster and Playa del Carmen differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($2,117 vs $1,271 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 $3,176 in Forster and $1,906 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: $1,273 in Forster versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $327 in Forster versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Forster. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,117 in Forster, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Forster. 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, Forster 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 67% less than in Forster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.