Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mata Utu and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $5,221 in Mata Utu, rent and utilities included – about $48,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Mata Utu, Wallis and Futuna
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Mata Utu
🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna
$5,221
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $5,221 per month in Mata Utu vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mata Utu $5,221
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $6,618 per month in Mata Utu vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mata Utu $6,618
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $8,015 per month in Mata Utu vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mata Utu $8,015
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Mata Utu costs about 334% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Mata Utu sits 284% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mata Utu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 CFPF 1,176
$10.92 MX$204
0.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$110 CFPF 11.8K
$43.37 MX$808
154.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$11.78 MX$220
-
Cappuccino
$7.83 CFPF 835
$3.81 MX$71.0
105.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 CFPF 593
$1.28 MX$23.90
334.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 CFPF 351
$0.78 MX$14.59
321.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.17 MX$59.0
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.65 CFPF 603
$4.93 MX$92.0
14.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mata Utu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
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)
$11.06 CFPF 1,180
$1.15 MX$21.37
861.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$4.59 CFPF 489
$1.18 MX$21.98
288.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.00 CFPF 1,814
$4.30 MX$80.1
295.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.57 CFPF 1,768
$9.95 MX$185
66.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.58 MX$29.52
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.67 MX$49.79
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mata Utu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
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)
$1.86 CFPF 199
$1.44 MX$26.92
29.17%
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
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mata Utu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$143 CFPF 15.3K
$84.8 MX$1,581
69.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$114 CFPF 12.1K
$23.41 MX$436
386.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$3,321 CFPF 354.3K
$28.66 MX$534
11487.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mata Utu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.1 MX$1,063
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$539
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$5.14 MX$95.8
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mata Utu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$207 MX$3,851
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$3,927 MX$73.2K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mata Utu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$225 CFPF 24.0K
$43.35 MX$808
419.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$90.9 CFPF 9,696
$41.44 MX$772
119.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$224 CFPF 23.9K
$74.2 MX$1,383
201.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$276 CFPF 29.4K
$89.3 MX$1,664
208.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mata Utu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$909 CFPF 97.0K
$980 MX$18.3K
-7.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$915 CFPF 97.6K
$381 MX$7,099
140.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,264 CFPF 241.6K
$1,708 MX$31.8K
32.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,266 CFPF 241.8K
$1,075 MX$20.0K
110.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,158 MX$114.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mata Utu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,355 CFPF 358.0K
$735 MX$13.7K
356.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
11.45
-

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

Last update for Mata Utu: October 25, 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
Mata Utu
–
Playa del Carmen
$381
Groceries & Markets
Mata Utu
–
Playa del Carmen
$255
Eating Out
Mata Utu
–
Playa del Carmen
$202
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mata Utu
–
Playa del Carmen
$137
Clothing & Footwear
Mata Utu
–
Playa del Carmen
$112
Sport & Entertainment
Mata Utu
–
Playa del Carmen
$67
Getting Around
Mata Utu
–
Playa del Carmen
$50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $909 in Mata Utu 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.

Salaries in Mata Utu are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $110 in Mata Utu versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $132 in Mata Utu vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Mata Utu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇼🇫 Mata Utu
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
08:36 8:36 AM
15:36 3:36 PM
17 h behind Mata Utu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,200 Capital
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.37 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.42 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mata Utu Playa del Carmen 10,430 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mata Utu
  • 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
Mata Utu vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mata Utu and in Playa del Carmen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $5,221 in Mata Utu, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 77% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.
What salary covers living expenses in Mata Utu compared to Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,832 per month in Mata Utu and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Mata Utu and in Playa del Carmen?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $909 in Mata Utu and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $110 in Mata Utu and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Mata Utu or Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $5,221 in Mata Utu and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 77% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Mata Utu at $5,221. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mata Utu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Mata Utu and Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $5,221 in Mata Utu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Mata Utu and Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mata Utu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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