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: $1,904 in Fox Glacier versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,894 in Fox Glacier versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,885 in Fox Glacier versus $3,084 in Playa del Carmen.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Fox Glacier is 43% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.15 NZ$25.98

$11.73 MX$202

29.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 NZ$132

$41.78 MX$719

84.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 NZ$16.17

$10.41 MX$179

-9.41%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$5.85

$3.61 MX$62.1

-5.54%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.87

$1.46 MX$25.06

54.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 NZ$3.45

$0.97 MX$16.70

107.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 NZ$12.59

$2.92 MX$50.3

151.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 NZ$10.77

$4.62 MX$79.5

35.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 NZ$3.24

$1.43 MX$24.59

32.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 NZ$3.44

$1.90 MX$32.70

5.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.21

$1.57 MX$26.95

19.11%

Eggs

$6.08 NZ$10.43

$2.64 MX$45.34

130.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 NZ$14.14

$8.44 MX$145

-2.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 NZ$16.34

$8.58 MX$148

11.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.71 NZ$21.79

$11.00 MX$189

15.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 NZ$4.83

$2.70 MX$46.51

4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.73

$1.51 MX$25.92

44.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NZ$5.25

$1.91 MX$32.93

60.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 NZ$7.92

$2.17 MX$37.37

112.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 NZ$3.51

$1.87 MX$32.25

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 NZ$3.32

$2.23 MX$38.43

-13.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.79

$1.08 MX$18.60

104.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.91

$1.07 MX$18.47

3.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.78 NZ$40.78

$4.16 MX$71.6

471.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 NZ$16.40

$10.29 MX$177

-7.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NZ$4.29

$1.68 MX$28.95

48.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NZ$6.29

$2.53 MX$43.59

45.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 NZ$3.67

$0.55 MX$9.53

289.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 NZ$111

$26.29 MX$452

147.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 NZ$4.58

$3.20 MX$55.0

-16.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 NZ$3.04

$2.46 MX$42.37

-28.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.10 NZ$60.2

$3.20 MX$55.0

996.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.97

$1.32 MX$22.72

31.06%

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

$28.5K NZ$48.9K

$30.2K MX$518.8K

-5.34%

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

$22.0K NZ$37.7K

$23.4K MX$402.5K

-6.07%

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

$144 NZ$247

$81.4 MX$1,400

77.31%

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

$35.20 NZ$60.4

$22.41 MX$386

57.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 NZ$88.1

$29.97 MX$516

71.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.20 NZ$63.8

$51.6 MX$887

-27.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.86 NZ$20.33

$18.39 MX$316

-35.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.79 NZ$18.51

$5.16 MX$88.9

109.11%

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

$746 NZ$1,279

$202 MX$3,471

269.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NZ$21.1K

$5,311 MX$91.4K

131.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 NZ$115

$35.61 MX$613

88.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.17 NZ$63.7

$40.37 MX$695

-7.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 NZ$162

$78.6 MX$1,353

20.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 NZ$202

$86.9 MX$1,495

35.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 NZ$1,643

$950 MX$16.3K

0.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$798 NZ$1,368

$478 MX$8,227

66.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 NZ$2,748

$1,621 MX$27.9K

-1.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 NZ$2,470

$1,223 MX$21.0K

17.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,309 NZ$7,388

$4,009 MX$69.0K

7.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,476 NZ$5,960

$6,473 MX$111.4K

-46.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $958 in Fox Glacier and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Fox Glacier vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $254 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 ($1,904 vs $1,294 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 $2,857 in Fox Glacier and $1,941 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: $958 in Fox Glacier versus $950 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 147% less than in Fox Glacier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $746 in Fox Glacier versus $202 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,904 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.