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: $1,845 in Fox Glacier versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,869 in Fox Glacier versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,894 in Fox Glacier versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Fox Glacier is roughly 43% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fox Glacier is 38% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 NZ$25.71

$11.94 MX$209

25.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 NZ$136

$42.75 MX$748

86.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 NZ$16.34

$10.59 MX$185

-9.73%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NZ$5.99

$3.62 MX$63.4

-3.31%

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

$2.34 NZ$4.01

$1.47 MX$25.69

59.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NZ$3.57

$0.94 MX$16.51

122.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 NZ$12.55

$3.09 MX$54.1

137.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 NZ$10.63

$4.46 MX$78.0

39.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.07

$1.43 MX$24.94

25.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.41

$1.88 MX$32.97

5.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.11

$1.63 MX$28.50

11.66%

Eggs

$5.98 NZ$10.22

$2.64 MX$46.26

126.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 NZ$14.18

$8.21 MX$144

0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 NZ$15.98

$8.29 MX$145

12.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 NZ$22.06

$11.10 MX$194

16.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 NZ$4.61

$2.65 MX$46.40

1.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.71

$1.50 MX$26.26

44.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NZ$5.12

$1.99 MX$34.79

50.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 NZ$7.68

$2.08 MX$36.33

115.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NZ$3.51

$1.79 MX$31.29

14.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.33

$2.18 MX$38.09

-10.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.85

$1.08 MX$18.84

108.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$1.96

$1.04 MX$18.15

10.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.85 NZ$40.78

$3.97 MX$69.5

500.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 NZ$17.72

$10.20 MX$179

1.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NZ$4.31

$1.73 MX$30.22

45.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 NZ$6.38

$2.50 MX$43.71

49.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 NZ$3.59

$0.52 MX$9.07

303.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.6 NZ$109

$26.97 MX$472

135.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 NZ$4.76

$3.14 MX$55.0

-11.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.16

$2.40 MX$42.04

-22.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.72 NZ$61.1

$3.09 MX$54.0

1055.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.95

$1.27 MX$22.28

36.22%

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

$28.3K NZ$48.5K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-8.25%

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

$22.5K NZ$38.4K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

-3.71%

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

$145 NZ$249

$82.0 MX$1,435

77.34%

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

$35.85 NZ$61.3

$22.45 MX$393

59.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 NZ$88.4

$29.66 MX$519

74.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.98 NZ$63.2

$51.9 MX$908

-28.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.09 NZ$20.67

$18.67 MX$327

-35.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 NZ$18.52

$4.97 MX$87.0

117.91%

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

$743 NZ$1,270

$198 MX$3,462

275.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

130.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 NZ$118

$36.34 MX$636

89.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.85 NZ$64.7

$40.05 MX$701

-5.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 NZ$161

$79.9 MX$1,398

17.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NZ$200

$88.9 MX$1,555

31.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$982 NZ$1,679

$963 MX$16.9K

1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 NZ$1,352

$465 MX$8,133

70.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 NZ$2,684

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-1.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 NZ$2,483

$1,209 MX$21.2K

20.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,212 NZ$8,913

$3,942 MX$69.0K

32.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,760 NZ$6,429

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-41.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

11.42

-40.98%

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

Last update for Fox Glacier: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $982 in Fox Glacier and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Fox Glacier vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $251 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,845 vs $1,287 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 $2,767 in Fox Glacier and $1,930 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: $982 in Fox Glacier versus $963 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 136% less than in Fox Glacier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $743 in Fox Glacier versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,845 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 43% less than in Fox Glacier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.