Cost of Living Comparison Between Frascati and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Frascati and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,682 in Frascati versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,586 in Frascati versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Frascati versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Frascati is roughly 30% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Frascati is 26% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 €15.05

$11.73 MX$203

49.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 €64.3

$41.62 MX$720

79.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.82

$10.64 MX$184

7.24%

Cappuccino

$1.75 €1.51

$3.52 MX$60.9

-50.28%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$1.51 MX$26.12

66.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.05

$0.97 MX$16.84

25.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 €5.01

$2.95 MX$51.0

97.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 €5.99

$4.45 MX$77.0

56.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.38 MX$23.93

18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.89 MX$32.72

12.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 €2.63

$1.64 MX$28.32

86.59%

Eggs

$4.36 €3.75

$2.51 MX$43.34

73.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.32 €14.90

$8.34 MX$144

107.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 €9.72

$8.34 MX$144

35.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.47 €17.60

$10.73 MX$186

90.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.60 MX$45.04

-9.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.46 MX$25.20

53.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.90 MX$32.87

19.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.33

$2.08 MX$35.91

30.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.78 MX$30.71

-0.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.19 MX$37.80

-21.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.04 MX$17.99

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$1.08 MX$18.62

-48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.05

$4.08 MX$70.6

72.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 €7.13

$10.32 MX$178

-19.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.71 MX$29.61

11.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.58 MX$44.54

2.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.48

$0.51 MX$8.81

237.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 €24.83

$26.46 MX$458

9.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.63 €4.84

$3.26 MX$56.4

72.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 €1.37

$2.49 MX$43.09

-36.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.93 €30.05

$3.25 MX$56.2

974.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.31 MX$22.61

52.67%

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

$29.0K €25.0K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-4.08%

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

$30.1K €25.9K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

28.66%

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

$211 €182

$82.9 MX$1,433

154.63%

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

$11.09 €9.54

$22.22 MX$384

-50.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.04 €26.70

$29.34 MX$507

5.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.88 €42.05

$51.6 MX$893

-5.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 €14.74

$18.32 MX$317

-6.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.67 €10.04

$5.07 MX$87.6

130.18%

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

$537 €462

$201 MX$3,473

167.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,185

$5,212 MX$90.1K

104.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.7 €70.2

$36.92 MX$639

121.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.47 €29.65

$39.79 MX$688

-13.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 €75.8

$78.5 MX$1,357

12.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €122

$87.1 MX$1,506

63.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 €647

$973 MX$16.8K

-22.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 €498

$468 MX$8,090

23.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 €1,028

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-27.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$920 €791

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-24.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,914 €2,507

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-26.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 €1,779

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-68.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,531 €2,177

$664 MX$11.5K

281.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

11.42

-65.41%

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

Last update for Frascati: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $752 in Frascati and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frascati pays 281% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Frascati vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $249 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Frascati pays 281% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $752 in Frascati versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $75.0 in Frascati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,682 per month in Frascati versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,682 in Frascati, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Frascati. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Frascati, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Frascati and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Frascati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.