Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fulshear, TX and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,480 in Fulshear, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Fulshear, TX, United States
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Fulshear, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,480
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fulshear, TX 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 Fulshear, TX and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,480 in Fulshear, TX versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Fulshear, TX $2,480
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,701 in Fulshear, TX versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Fulshear, TX $3,701
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,922 in Fulshear, TX versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Fulshear, TX $4,922
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Fulshear, TX is roughly 106% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fulshear, TX is 83% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fulshear, TX
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.84 $17.84
$10.67 MX$199
67.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.3 $76.3
$43.80 MX$815
74.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.81 $10.81
$11.79 MX$219
-8.31%
Cappuccino
$5.42 $5.42
$3.79 MX$70.5
43.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 $2.53
$1.30 MX$24.14
94.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 $1.69
$0.83 MX$15.51
103.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.10 $5.10
$3.15 MX$58.6
61.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.99 $5.99
$4.93 MX$91.8
21.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fulshear, TX
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.87 $0.87
$1.41 MX$26.22
-38.30%
White Bread (500g)
$1.68 $1.68
$2.20 MX$40.86
-23.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.48 $4.48
$1.47 MX$27.40
204.76%
Eggs
$2.09 $2.09
$2.50 MX$46.47
-16.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.09 $12.09
$7.29 MX$136
65.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.16 $11.16
$7.95 MX$148
40.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.27 $13.27
$12.86 MX$239
3.19%
Apples (1kg)
$3.87 $3.87
$2.90 MX$53.9
33.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.38 MX$25.74
-26.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$2.49 MX$46.36
75.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 $2.14
$2.03 MX$37.78
5.42%
Potato (1kg)
$2.70 $2.70
$2.02 MX$37.69
33.66%
Onion (1kg)
$3.09 $3.09
$1.90 MX$35.42
62.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.91 $1.91
$1.14 MX$21.30
67.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.31 $2.31
$1.24 MX$23.06
86.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.90 $9.90
$4.27 MX$79.5
131.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.19 $15.19
$9.81 MX$183
54.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.76 $2.76
$1.59 MX$29.51
73.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 $3.54
$2.75 MX$51.1
28.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Fulshear, TX
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.10 $2.10
$0.51 MX$9.58
311.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.5 $61.5
$27.39 MX$510
124.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.47 $3.47
$4.76 MX$88.6
-27.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.75 $1.75
$3.25 MX$60.5
-46.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.98 $26.98
$5.39 MX$100
400.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.53 MX$28.44
-34.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K $35.7K
$21.2K MX$394.8K
68.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K $26.5K
$23.3K MX$432.9K
13.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fulshear, TX
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 $217
$83.5 MX$1,554
160.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$73.3 $73.3
$23.19 MX$431
215.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.2 $50.2
$27.61 MX$514
81.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fulshear, TX
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.89 $42.89
$56.4 MX$1,050
-23.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.19 MX$525
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.04 $15.04
$5.00 MX$93.1
200.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fulshear, TX
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,281 $1,281
$207 MX$3,854
518.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.8K $23.8K
$5,231 MX$97.4K
355.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fulshear, TX
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.4 $55.4
$43.45 MX$809
27.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.81 $48.81
$42.54 MX$792
14.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$136 $136
$72.8 MX$1,354
86.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$148 $148
$88.4 MX$1,645
67.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fulshear, TX
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,666 $1,666
$995 MX$18.5K
67.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,176 $1,176
$382 MX$7,116
207.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,622 $2,622
$1,674 MX$31.2K
56.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,072 $2,072
$1,081 MX$20.1K
91.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$3,909 MX$72.7K
-18.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,323 $2,323
$6,138 MX$114.2K
-62.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fulshear, TX
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.48
11.45
-43.41%

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

Last update for Fulshear, TX: November 3, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fulshear, TX
$1.2K
Playa del Carmen
$382 67.5% $794
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fulshear, TX
$341
Playa del Carmen
$134 60.6% $207
Groceries & Markets
Fulshear, TX
$338
Playa del Carmen
$257 23.9% $81
Eating Out
Fulshear, TX
$295
Playa del Carmen
$200 32% $94
Clothing & Footwear
Fulshear, TX
$175
Playa del Carmen
$111 36.3% $63
Getting Around
Fulshear, TX
$82
Playa del Carmen
$50 38.5% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Fulshear, TX
$73
Playa del Carmen
$66 8.9% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,666 in Fulshear, TX and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76 in Fulshear, TX vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $257 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Fulshear, TX
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
16:16 4:16 PM
17:16 5:16 PM
1 h ahead of Fulshear, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,000
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fulshear, TX Playa del Carmen 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Fulshear, TX
  • 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
Fulshear, TX vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Fulshear, TX or Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Fulshear, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Fulshear, TX and in Playa del Carmen?
You’d need roughly $3,719 in Fulshear, TX and $1,804 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Fulshear, TX compared to Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,666 in Fulshear, TX versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Fulshear, TX compared to Playa del Carmen?
All in, you’ll spend $2,480 per month in Fulshear, TX versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Fulshear, TX compared to Playa del Carmen?
A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 55% less than in Fulshear, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Fulshear, TX or in Playa del Carmen?
At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,480 in Fulshear, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fulshear, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Fulshear, TX or Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Fulshear, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Fulshear, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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