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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,031 in Falmouth, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,727 in Falmouth, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,423 in Falmouth, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 27% more than Falmouth, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Falmouth are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Falmouth 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$15.52 JMD 2,438

-22.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$76.5 JMD 12.0K

-38.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$9.05 JMD 1,422

29.83%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$5.28 JMD 829

-21.97%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.18 JMD 186

18.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.70 JMD 109

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.17 JMD 342

47.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.10 JMD 487

128.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$4.26 JMD 669

-60.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$3.87 JMD 609

-44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.66 JMD 260

6.63%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$3.46 JMD 544

-18.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.59 JMD 1,820

-20.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.41 JMD 1,006

43.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$10.48 JMD 1,646

20.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$5.91 JMD 929

-50.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$4.01 JMD 630

-60.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$7.40 JMD 1,162

-70.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.98 JMD 467

-20.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$3.18 JMD 500

-37.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$2.59 JMD 406

-23.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$3.13 JMD 491

-60.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.51 JMD 238

-19.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$9.43 JMD 1,481

-51.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$11.19 JMD 1,758

-5.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.92 JMD 458

-42.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$4.06 JMD 638

-31.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.19 JMD 187

340.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.18 JMD 499

14.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$6.30 JMD 989

-8.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.41 JMD 221

9.22%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

-47.84%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$32.7K JMD 5.1M

-21.14%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$172 JMD 27.1K

-47.37%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$29.81 JMD 4,682

-15.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$52.1 JMD 8,178

-39.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$13.48 JMD 2,117

-63.95%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$361 JMD 56.6K

-37.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$8,242 JMD 1.3M

-49.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$23.46 JMD 3,685

101.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$31.42 JMD 4,935

38.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$79.5 JMD 12.5K

0.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$103 JMD 16.2K

-11.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.45

21.16%

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 Falmouth: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $77.0 in Falmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $389 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Falmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 27% more than Falmouth, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,547 in Falmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $77.0 in Falmouth. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 40% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Falmouth, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Falmouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Falmouth costs $1,031 versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Falmouth. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.