Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frederiksted and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Frederiksted: $347 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Frederiksted

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$347

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Frederiksted and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Frederiksted and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $347 per month in Frederiksted vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Frederiksted $347
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $739 per month in Frederiksted vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Frederiksted $739
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,132 per month in Frederiksted vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Frederiksted $1,132
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Frederiksted is about 71% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Frederiksted and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Frederiksted 75% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.53 $29.53

$10.92 MX$204

170.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$43.37 MX$808

81.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 $6.89

$3.17 MX$59.0

117.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.93 MX$92.0

62.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

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

$23.41 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.9 $59.9

$57.1 MX$1,063

4.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$980 MX$18.3K

35.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Frederiksted: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Frederiksted

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Frederiksted

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Frederiksted

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frederiksted

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Frederiksted

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Frederiksted

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Frederiksted

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,332 in Frederiksted versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Frederiksted versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Frederiksted

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

16:08 4:08 PM

1 h behind Frederiksted

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

528

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Frederiksted Playa del Carmen 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Frederiksted
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 247%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $520 per month in Frederiksted and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,332 in Frederiksted.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $347 in Frederiksted and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Frederiksted about 71% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Frederiksted and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Frederiksted, where all-in costs run around $347, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Frederiksted it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $347 in Frederiksted to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.