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: $1,847 in Fox Glacier versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,865 in Fox Glacier versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,884 in Fox Glacier versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Fox Glacier is roughly 47% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fox Glacier is 39% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 NZ$25.85

$11.72 MX$203

30.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 NZ$133

$41.89 MX$725

87.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 NZ$16.06

$10.51 MX$182

-9.80%

Cappuccino

$3.51 NZ$5.95

$3.59 MX$62.0

-2.23%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.86

$1.51 MX$26.10

50.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 NZ$3.46

$0.92 MX$15.83

121.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.29 NZ$12.36

$2.96 MX$51.2

146.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 NZ$10.80

$4.41 MX$76.3

44.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.11

$1.40 MX$24.16

31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NZ$3.38

$1.88 MX$32.60

6.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.10

$1.56 MX$26.97

17.31%

Eggs

$6.11 NZ$10.36

$2.61 MX$45.14

134.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 NZ$13.61

$8.32 MX$144

-3.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 NZ$15.92

$8.35 MX$145

12.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 NZ$22.03

$10.86 MX$188

19.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 NZ$4.59

$2.71 MX$46.93

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.82

$1.51 MX$26.04

49.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.13

$1.87 MX$32.41

61.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 NZ$8.01

$2.19 MX$37.89

115.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NZ$3.53

$1.86 MX$32.14

11.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 NZ$3.30

$2.23 MX$38.59

-13.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 NZ$3.85

$1.07 MX$18.48

112.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$1.95

$1.09 MX$18.79

5.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.99 NZ$40.67

$4.19 MX$72.4

472.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.86 NZ$15.02

$10.43 MX$180

-15.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 NZ$4.21

$1.66 MX$28.68

49.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 NZ$6.24

$2.61 MX$45.19

41.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 NZ$3.68

$0.54 MX$9.37

301.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NZ$109

$26.16 MX$453

145.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 NZ$4.52

$3.08 MX$53.3

-13.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 NZ$3.03

$2.40 MX$41.61

-25.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 NZ$59.5

$3.13 MX$54.1

1020.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.80

$1.31 MX$22.69

25.95%

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

$28.7K NZ$48.6K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-3.81%

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

$22.6K NZ$38.4K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-2.93%

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

$142 NZ$241

$81.3 MX$1,406

74.59%

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

$35.51 NZ$60.2

$22.56 MX$390

57.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 NZ$86.0

$30.05 MX$520

68.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.40 NZ$63.4

$52.9 MX$915

-29.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.14 NZ$20.58

$18.39 MX$318

-33.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 NZ$18.42

$4.92 MX$85.1

120.73%

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

$728 NZ$1,234

$201 MX$3,474

262.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.7K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

135.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.4 NZ$114

$35.92 MX$622

87.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.59 NZ$63.7

$40.13 MX$694

-6.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 NZ$162

$79.7 MX$1,379

19.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 NZ$201

$86.5 MX$1,496

37.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 NZ$1,648

$978 MX$16.9K

-0.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$797 NZ$1,352

$470 MX$8,140

69.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 NZ$2,634

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-5.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 NZ$2,376

$1,203 MX$20.8K

16.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,330 NZ$7,341

$3,953 MX$68.4K

9.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,342 NZ$5,665

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-49.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Fox Glacier and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Fox Glacier vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $252 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 47% in total monthly costs ($1,847 vs $1,260 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 $2,770 in Fox Glacier and $1,890 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: $972 in Fox Glacier versus $978 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 145% less than in Fox Glacier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $728 in Fox Glacier versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,847 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 47% less than in Fox Glacier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.