Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fox Glacier and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,965 in Fox Glacier, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Fox Glacier
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Fox Glacier Living Index
58

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

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Fox Glacier

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,965

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,965 in Fox Glacier versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Fox Glacier $1,965
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,013 in Fox Glacier versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Fox Glacier $3,013
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,061 in Fox Glacier versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Fox Glacier $4,061
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Fox Glacier is roughly 63% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fox Glacier is 44% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 NZ$26.49

$10.92 MX$205

36.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 NZ$110

$43.37 MX$814

43.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 NZ$14.56

$11.78 MX$221

-30.39%

Cappuccino

$3.55 NZ$6.30

$3.81 MX$71.5

-6.82%

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

$1.78 NZ$3.17

$1.28 MX$24.07

39.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 NZ$2.93

$0.78 MX$14.70

111.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.86

$3.17 MX$59.5

110.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 NZ$12.37

$4.93 MX$92.7

41.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 NZ$3.57

$1.41 MX$26.40

42.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 NZ$3.18

$2.22 MX$41.62

-19.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 NZ$3.07

$1.42 MX$26.61

21.83%

Eggs

$5.99 NZ$10.63

$2.52 MX$47.36

137.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 NZ$16.71

$7.26 MX$136

29.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 NZ$15.47

$7.70 MX$144

13.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 NZ$27.13

$12.69 MX$238

20.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.36

$2.78 MX$52.3

8.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.86

$1.37 MX$25.68

58.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 NZ$4.71

$2.55 MX$47.89

3.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 NZ$8.79

$2.12 MX$39.86

133.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 NZ$3.95

$1.94 MX$36.39

14.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 NZ$2.65

$1.89 MX$35.41

-21.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NZ$4.08

$1.15 MX$21.53

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 NZ$2.08

$1.18 MX$22.13

-0.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.30 NZ$43.15

$4.30 MX$80.6

465.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 NZ$14.51

$9.95 MX$187

-17.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 NZ$5.08

$1.58 MX$29.73

81.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NZ$5.13

$2.67 MX$50.1

8.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 NZ$3.38

$0.55 MX$10.39

245.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 NZ$169

$26.62 MX$500

257.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 NZ$3.70

$4.97 MX$93.3

-58.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 NZ$3.58

$3.33 MX$62.5

-39.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.35 NZ$48.56

$5.36 MX$101

410.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 NZ$3.48

$1.44 MX$27.11

36.11%

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

$27.8K NZ$49.4K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

34.76%

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

$25.5K NZ$45.2K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

8.46%

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

$96.7 NZ$172

$84.8 MX$1,592

14.05%

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

$29.56 NZ$52.5

$23.41 MX$439

26.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 NZ$93.3

$28.66 MX$538

83.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.47 NZ$66.5

$57.1 MX$1,071

-34.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$9.87 NZ$17.53

$5.14 MX$96.5

92.02%

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

$704 NZ$1,250

$207 MX$3,878

240.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K NZ$30.3K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

334.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 NZ$127

$43.35 MX$814

64.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.01 NZ$58.6

$41.44 MX$778

-20.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 NZ$177

$74.2 MX$1,393

34.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 NZ$178

$89.3 MX$1,676

12.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 NZ$1,913

$980 MX$18.4K

10.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 NZ$1,617

$381 MX$7,150

139.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 NZ$2,806

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-7.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 NZ$2,921

$1,075 MX$20.2K

53.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,875 NZ$8,655

$3,943 MX$74.0K

23.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,516 NZ$6,242

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-42.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.83

11.45

-49.08%

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

Last update for Fox Glacier: October 26, 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

Fox Glacier

$911 46.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 58.2% $530

Groceries & Markets

Fox Glacier

$319 16.3%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 20.2% $65

Eating Out

Fox Glacier

$248 12.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 18.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fox Glacier

$179 9.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 23.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Fox Glacier

$137 7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 18.4% $25

Getting Around

Fox Glacier

$115 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 56.1% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Fox Glacier

$57 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 17.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Fox Glacier and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Fox Glacier vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Fox Glacier

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

15:22 3:22 PM

18 h behind Fox Glacier

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300

149,923

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 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).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fox Glacier Playa del Carmen 12,580 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Fox Glacier
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,965 in Fox Glacier and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Playa del Carmen is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,948 in Fox Glacier and $1,806 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: $1,078 in Fox Glacier versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 72% less than in Fox Glacier. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $704 in Fox Glacier versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,965 in Fox Glacier, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fox Glacier. 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Fox Glacier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.