Cost of Living Comparison Between Fox Glacier and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Fox Glacier and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,934 in Fox Glacier versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,930 in Fox Glacier versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,927 in Fox Glacier versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Fox Glacier is roughly 53% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fox Glacier is 41% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.70 NZ$27.45

$11.60 MX$200

35.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 NZ$121

$47.11 MX$812

47.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 NZ$18.33

$11.88 MX$205

-11.78%

Cappuccino

$3.36 NZ$5.87

$3.98 MX$68.6

-15.58%

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

$2.09 NZ$3.66

$1.43 MX$24.60

46.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 NZ$3.19

$0.82 MX$14.22

121.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 NZ$12.37

$3.19 MX$55.0

121.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 NZ$9.59

$6.79 MX$117

-19.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 NZ$2.71

$1.68 MX$28.89

-7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NZ$3.44

$2.20 MX$37.88

-10.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.48

$1.71 MX$29.45

16.37%

Eggs

$5.10 NZ$8.91

$2.74 MX$47.26

86.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 NZ$13.73

$9.58 MX$165

-18.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 NZ$15.78

$9.01 MX$155

0.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 NZ$23.52

$12.81 MX$221

5.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 NZ$4.72

$2.89 MX$49.81

-6.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.66

$1.50 MX$25.81

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 NZ$5.79

$2.15 MX$37.03

53.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NZ$9.61

$2.26 MX$38.96

143.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.95

$1.98 MX$34.15

14.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 NZ$2.80

$1.99 MX$34.30

-19.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.87

$1.23 MX$21.28

79.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.17

$1.20 MX$20.63

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.05 NZ$45.54

$4.55 MX$78.5

472.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 NZ$14.31

$10.37 MX$179

-21.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 NZ$4.73

$1.62 MX$27.91

67.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NZ$4.84

$2.88 MX$49.67

-3.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 NZ$2.90

$0.60 MX$10.35

176.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.4 NZ$127

$28.80 MX$497

151.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 NZ$4.40

$5.39 MX$92.9

-53.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 NZ$2.91

$3.73 MX$64.3

-55.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.88 NZ$52.2

$5.77 MX$99.5

417.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 NZ$2.74

$1.54 MX$26.48

1.30%

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

$27.5K NZ$48.0K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

21.87%

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

$26.9K NZ$47.1K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

3.32%

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

$113 NZ$198

$91.4 MX$1,576

23.83%

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

$28.39 NZ$49.62

$25.20 MX$435

12.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.94 NZ$85.6

$31.24 MX$539

56.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.66 NZ$79.8

$67.2 MX$1,159

-32.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 NZ$17.66

$4.86 MX$83.8

107.82%

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

$615 NZ$1,075

$224 MX$3,856

175.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.5K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

204.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 NZ$98.8

$47.10 MX$812

19.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.83 NZ$57.4

$44.29 MX$764

-25.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 NZ$161

$80.1 MX$1,381

14.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 NZ$169

$92.7 MX$1,598

4.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 NZ$1,472

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 NZ$1,335

$390 MX$6,728

95.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 NZ$2,610

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-30.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 NZ$2,323

$1,272 MX$21.9K

4.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,683 NZ$8,187

$4,001 MX$69.0K

17.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,681 NZ$6,436

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-43.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

11.45

-52.84%

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

Last update for Fox Glacier: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $842 in Fox Glacier and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Fox Glacier vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $276 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

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

Fox Glacier and Playa del Carmen differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,934 vs $1,266 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 $2,900 in Fox Glacier and $1,899 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: $842 in Fox Glacier versus $1,063 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 151% less than in Fox Glacier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $615 in Fox Glacier versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,934 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 53% less than in Fox Glacier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.