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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,726 in Fuenlabrada versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,509 in Fuenlabrada versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,293 in Fuenlabrada versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Fuenlabrada is roughly 36% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fuenlabrada is 28% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$11.87 MX$204

43.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 €60.5

$42.90 MX$736

63.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 €8.80

$10.65 MX$183

-4.04%

Cappuccino

$2.42 €2.09

$3.45 MX$59.2

-29.86%

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

$3.09 €2.67

$1.50 MX$25.81

106.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.95 MX$16.28

123.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.94

$3.03 MX$51.9

12.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €3.93

$4.61 MX$79.1

-1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.38 MX$23.61

-18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.85 MX$31.70

-40.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.61 MX$27.65

5.59%

Eggs

$2.65 €2.29

$2.59 MX$44.51

2.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.92 €12.85

$8.26 MX$142

80.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 €7.84

$8.37 MX$144

8.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 €14.56

$10.66 MX$183

58.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$2.63 MX$45.12

9.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.85

$1.49 MX$25.53

43.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.92 MX$32.94

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.09 MX$35.81

27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.86 MX$31.88

1.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.26 MX$38.81

-9.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.06 MX$18.23

26.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.54

$1.09 MX$18.67

-42.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.98 €6.02

$4.15 MX$71.2

68.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €6.80

$10.39 MX$178

-24.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.72 MX$29.59

-29.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.61 MX$44.85

-14.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 €1.28

$0.54 MX$9.30

175.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.78 €29.11

$26.94 MX$462

25.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 €4.06

$3.13 MX$53.7

50.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$2.51 MX$43.09

-57.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.85 €20.55

$3.15 MX$54.1

657.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.27 MX$21.88

44.88%

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

$37.0K €31.9K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

21.93%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

45.51%

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

$195 €168

$83.0 MX$1,425

135.04%

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

$21.56 €18.58

$22.71 MX$390

-5.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 €29.39

$29.46 MX$506

15.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.14 €40.61

$51.0 MX$875

-7.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.28 €13.17

$18.33 MX$315

-16.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.35 €9.78

$4.93 MX$84.5

130.22%

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

$263 €227

$197 MX$3,386

33.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.4K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

128.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 €84.2

$36.90 MX$633

164.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.97 €32.71

$39.89 MX$685

-4.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 €79.3

$80.0 MX$1,373

14.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 €81.2

$89.5 MX$1,536

5.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 €731

$956 MX$16.4K

-11.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 €608

$477 MX$8,189

47.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 €1,126

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-20.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 €871

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-17.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 €1,494

$667 MX$11.4K

159.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

11.42

-70.40%

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

Last update for Fuenlabrada: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $848 in Fuenlabrada and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fuenlabrada pays 160% 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: $70.0 in Fuenlabrada vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $250 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

Fuenlabrada 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Fuenlabrada pays 160% 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: $848 in Fuenlabrada versus $956 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 $43.00 versus $70.0 in Fuenlabrada. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,726 per month in Fuenlabrada versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,726 in Fuenlabrada, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fuenlabrada. 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 Fuenlabrada, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Fuenlabrada 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 36% less than in Fuenlabrada. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.