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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,288 in Fajardo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,519 in Fajardo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,750 in Fajardo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 1% more expensive than in Fajardo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Fajardo 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$9.96 $9.96

20.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$83.9 $83.9

-43.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$9.12 $9.12

28.84%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$3.62 $3.62

13.81%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$1.79 $1.79

-21.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$1.51 $1.51

-39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$2.92 $2.92

9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$5.10 $5.10

38.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$2.28 $2.28

-26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$3.08 $3.08

-30.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$2.41 $2.41

-26.56%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$5.65 $5.65

-50.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.11 $5.11

80.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$9.39 $9.39

-1.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$13.18 $13.18

-4.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$4.99 $4.99

-40.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$2.55 $2.55

-38.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$4.73 $4.73

-53.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$4.72 $4.72

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$3.72 $3.72

-46.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$3.87 $3.87

-48.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$3.40 $3.40

-63.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$1.66 $1.66

-27.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$11.58 $11.58

-60.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$9.70 $9.70

8.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$2.96 $2.96

-42.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$4.04 $4.04

-31.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$2.45 $2.45

113.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$1.51 $1.51

141.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$41.72 $41.72

-86.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$0.92 $0.92

67.39%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$40.2K $40.2K

-43.29%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$28.4K $28.4K

-9.21%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$322 $322

-71.87%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$70.4 $70.4

-64.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$69.2 $69.2

-54.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$99.6 $99.6

-30.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$10.58 $10.58

-54.06%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$812 $812

-72.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$12.5K $12.5K

-66.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$55.1 $55.1

-14.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$62.5 $62.5

-30.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$107 $107

-25.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$112 $112

-18.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$1,005 $1,005

7.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$992 $992

29.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.55

74.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Fajardo: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $1,005 in Fajardo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $84.0 in Fajardo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $365 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

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

Fajardo wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fajardo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,932 in Fajardo 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,005 in Fajardo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,288 in Fajardo – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,288 in Fajardo versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fajardo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Fajardo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fajardo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,288 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fajardo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Fajardo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.