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 $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,143 in Falmouth, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,849 in Falmouth, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,554 in Falmouth, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 10% more than Falmouth, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Falmouth are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Falmouth 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$7.48 JMD 1,178

59.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$731

$63.4 JMD 9,988

-33.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$8.90 JMD 1,401

17.08%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.3

$4.24 JMD 668

-17.22%

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

$1.52 MX$26.44

$1.31 JMD 206

16.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.88

$0.76 JMD 120

19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.0

$2.57 JMD 405

18.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.2

$3.16 JMD 497

38.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.78

$4.38 JMD 690

-67.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.93

$3.54 JMD 557

-48.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.51

$1.62 JMD 255

0.62%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$3.44 JMD 541

-26.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$11.16 JMD 1,758

-23.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$6.48 JMD 1,020

31.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$7.52 JMD 1,184

43.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.04

$5.95 JMD 937

-53.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.05

$3.08 JMD 485

-53.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.90

$4.21 JMD 662

-55.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$2.95 JMD 464

-26.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.03

$2.01 JMD 316

-11.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.79

$1.95 JMD 308

13.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.64

$3.00 JMD 473

-64.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.83

$1.50 JMD 237

-28.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.3

$8.97 JMD 1,412

-53.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$11.50 JMD 1,810

-9.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.40

$2.76 JMD 434

-36.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.01

$3.04 JMD 479

-15.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.0

$1.13 JMD 178

184.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.64

$3.14 JMD 495

-20.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.6

$6.12 JMD 964

-47.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$1.23 JMD 194

2.44%

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

$29.7K MX$517.7K

$43.5K JMD 6.9M

-31.76%

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

$23.7K MX$413.0K

$33.4K JMD 5.3M

-29.17%

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

$82.0 MX$1,430

$166 JMD 26.2K

-50.71%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$22.37 JMD 3,523

1.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$513

$51.8 JMD 8,162

-43.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$910

$28.39 JMD 4,471

83.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$13.03 JMD 2,051

-62.16%

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

$202 MX$3,519

$229 JMD 36.1K

-12.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.0K

$2,510 JMD 395.2K

107.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$627

$25.74 JMD 4,053

39.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$703

$25.35 JMD 3,992

59.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,393

$72.1 JMD 11.3K

10.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,557

$75.7 JMD 11.9K

17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$308 JMD 48.5K

208.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,114

$251 JMD 39.5K

85.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$530 JMD 83.4K

207.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$462 JMD 72.8K

158.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.15

24.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Falmouth: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $308 in Falmouth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $63.0 in Falmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $351 – 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 10% 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 $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,714 in Falmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Falmouth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $63.0 in Falmouth. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 39% 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 $1,143, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. 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 $1,143 versus $1,259 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.