Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lauderdale, FL and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, rent and utilities included – about $26,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Fort Lauderdale, FL Living Index
58

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

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Fort Lauderdale, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,414

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,414 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fort Lauderdale, FL $3,414
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $5,025 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fort Lauderdale, FL $5,025
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $6,636 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fort Lauderdale, FL $6,636
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Fort Lauderdale, FL costs about 183% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fort Lauderdale, FL sits 151% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.40 $29.40

$10.92 MX$204

169.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 $99.7

$43.37 MX$808

129.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.55 $14.55

$11.78 MX$220

23.51%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$3.81 MX$71.0

33.86%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$1.28 MX$23.90

133.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.78 MX$14.59

178.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.17 MX$59.0

93.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$4.93 MX$92.0

40.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.41 MX$26.22

-27.66%

White Bread (500g)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.22 MX$41.33

126.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.42 MX$26.42

164.08%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$2.52 MX$47.03

94.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$7.26 MX$135

137.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 $10.33

$7.70 MX$143

34.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.42 $26.42

$12.69 MX$237

108.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$2.78 MX$51.9

132.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.37 MX$25.50

42.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.55 MX$47.55

70.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$2.12 MX$39.58

151.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.94 MX$36.13

48.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.89 MX$35.16

67.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.15 MX$21.37

131.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.18 MX$21.98

51.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

$4.30 MX$80.1

121.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 $11.81

$9.95 MX$185

18.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.58 MX$29.52

89.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.67 MX$49.79

-20.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.55 MX$10.31

272.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 $71.0

$26.62 MX$496

166.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.97 MX$92.6

-19.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$3.33 MX$62.1

-45.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

$5.36 MX$99.8

346.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.44 MX$26.92

-29.17%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

37.04%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

13.47%

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

$212 $212

$84.8 MX$1,581

149.79%

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

$64.8 $64.8

$23.41 MX$436

176.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.7 $80.7

$28.66 MX$534

181.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.90 $42.90

$57.1 MX$1,063

-24.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.34 $14.34

$28.91 MX$539

-50.40%

Cinema Ticket

$17.92 $17.92

$5.14 MX$95.8

248.64%

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

$1,026 $1,026

$207 MX$3,851

396.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.2K $41.2K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

949.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.35 $46.35

$43.35 MX$808

6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.77 $41.77

$41.44 MX$772

0.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 $87.5

$74.2 MX$1,383

17.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$89.3 MX$1,664

30.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,687 $2,687

$980 MX$18.3K

174.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 $1,893

$381 MX$7,099

397.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,985 $4,985

$1,708 MX$31.8K

191.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,168 $3,168

$1,075 MX$20.0K

194.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,795 $5,795

$3,943 MX$73.5K

46.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,254 $4,254

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-30.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,757 $4,757

$735 MX$13.7K

547.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

11.45

-42.10%

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

Last update for Fort Lauderdale, FL: 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

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$1.9K 55.5%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 79.9% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$456 13.4%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 44.1% $201

Eating Out

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$405 11.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 50.1% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$357 10.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 61.7% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$131 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 15% $20

Getting Around

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$92 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 45.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$79 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 14.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL 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 Fort Lauderdale, FL are about 6.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Fort Lauderdale, FL versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $456 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Lauderdale, FL

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:01 11:01 AM

10:01 10:01 AM

1 h behind Fort Lauderdale, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,521

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fort Lauderdale, FL Playa del Carmen 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Lauderdale, FL
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

Fort Lauderdale, FL vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Lauderdale, FL costs about 183% 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 $5,121 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL 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 $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Kindergarten costs $1,026 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 79% more in Fort Lauderdale, FL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Fort Lauderdale, FL at $3,414. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Lauderdale, FL 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fort Lauderdale, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.