Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort-de-france and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort-de-france and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,180 in Fort-de-france versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,453 in Fort-de-france versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,726 in Fort-de-france versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Fort-de-france is roughly 69% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort-de-france is 59% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.69 €20.39

$11.71 MX$198

102.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €88.3

$46.59 MX$786

120.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.81 €13.61

$11.65 MX$197

35.71%

Cappuccino

$4.80 €4.13

$4.09 MX$69.1

17.36%

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

$3.72 €3.20

$1.37 MX$23.20

171.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 €3.40

$0.83 MX$14.07

375.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.67 €6.60

$3.35 MX$56.6

128.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 €4.52

$6.91 MX$117

-24.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.73 MX$29.15

1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.26 MX$38.15

-13.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 €3.26

$1.77 MX$29.86

114.12%

Eggs

$6.51 €5.60

$2.73 MX$46.12

138.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.45 €16.74

$9.18 MX$155

111.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$22.91 €19.72

$8.92 MX$151

156.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.82 €17.92

$12.60 MX$213

65.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 €3.43

$3.02 MX$51.0

31.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.57 MX$26.51

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 €2.63

$2.13 MX$35.88

43.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 €5.70

$2.26 MX$38.22

192.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.00 MX$33.82

-0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.06 MX$34.85

10.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.18 MX$19.91

43.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$1.20 MX$20.32

-38.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.19 €10.49

$4.63 MX$78.2

163.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.63 €7.43

$10.69 MX$180

-19.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.62 MX$27.33

13.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.88 MX$48.63

-1.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.46

$0.57 MX$9.68

196.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 €45.86

$29.83 MX$503

78.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 €3.85

$5.45 MX$91.9

-17.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 €1.81

$3.70 MX$62.5

-42.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.34 €37.29

$5.98 MX$101

624.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.57 €2.21

$1.55 MX$26.22

65.81%

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

$37.0K €31.8K

$22.3K MX$376.8K

65.70%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$25.9K MX$438.0K

32.25%

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

$162 €139

$89.1 MX$1,504

81.71%

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

$11.64 €10.02

$25.04 MX$423

-53.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 €43.27

$31.50 MX$532

59.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.04 €33.60

$67.8 MX$1,144

-42.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 €16.29

$28.92 MX$488

-34.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.97

$5.05 MX$85.2

129.31%

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

$533 €458

$225 MX$3,797

136.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,063 €3,496

$4,222 MX$71.3K

-3.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €98.4

$47.44 MX$801

141.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.94 €24.90

$44.98 MX$759

-35.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 €134

$82.0 MX$1,384

89.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$217 €187

$92.1 MX$1,555

135.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 €899

$1,069 MX$18.0K

-2.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 €646

$405 MX$6,842

85.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 €1,519

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-8.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 €1,244

$1,301 MX$22.0K

11.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,428 €2,090

$3,995 MX$67.4K

-39.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,783 €2,395

$6,626 MX$111.8K

-58.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,016

$749 MX$12.6K

212.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.45

11.45

-87.34%

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

Last update for Fort-de-france: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Fort-de-france and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort-de-france pays 213% 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: $103 in Fort-de-france vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $446 vs $277 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

Fort-de-france vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Fort-de-france. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 213% higher in Fort-de-france, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,045 in Fort-de-france versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Fort-de-france. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $103 in Fort-de-france. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,180 in Fort-de-france, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fort-de-france. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,293 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Fort-de-france 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 69% less than in Fort-de-france. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.