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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,664 in Ferrara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,622 in Ferrara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,579 in Ferrara.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 20% less than in Ferrara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Ferrara is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$19.15 €16.38

-32.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$69.6 €59.5

-33.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$11.80 €10.09

6.69%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.07 €1.77

93.24%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$2.64 €2.26

-46.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$1.27 €1.08

-36.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$5.93 €5.08

-48.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$5.67 €4.85

20.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.75 €1.50

-2.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$2.81 €2.41

-21.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$3.11 €2.66

-44.69%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$4.89 €4.18

-44.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$18.38 €15.72

-49.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$11.45 €9.79

-22.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$25.98 €22.22

-50.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$3.20 €2.74

-2.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.55 €1.33

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$3.96 €3.39

-45.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$4.71 €4.03

-50.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$2.51 €2.15

-19.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$2.48 €2.12

-19.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.92 €1.64

-35.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.32 €0.28

271.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$7.14 €6.11

-34.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$4.65 €3.98

125.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.51 €1.29

4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.06 €1.76

41.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$2.30 €1.96

-75.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$30.74 €26.29

-3.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$8.53 €7.30

-37.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$2.09 €1.78

77.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$35.20 €30.11

-83.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$2.09 €1.79

-25.84%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$37.2K €31.8K

-39.82%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$38.4K €32.8K

-33.41%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$146 €125

-38.99%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$10.19 €8.72

128.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$29.00 €24.81

9.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$39.02 €33.38

76.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$16.84 €14.41

74.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$9.45 €8.08

-46.46%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$346 €296

-35.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$10.4K €8,866

-58.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$97.3 €83.2

-52.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$34.08 €29.16

30.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$107 €91.5

-10.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$107 €92.0

-13.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$660 €565

61.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$546 €467

-28.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$1,293 €1,106

53.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$909 €777

43.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$2,382 €2,038

69.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,860 €1,591

256.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$1,678 €1,435

-55.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

3.37

244.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Ferrara: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $660 in Ferrara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ferrara pays 125% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $70.0 in Ferrara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $378 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 Ferrara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Ferrara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 125% lower in Ferrara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $660 in Ferrara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $70.0 in Ferrara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,664 in Ferrara – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,664 in Ferrara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ferrara. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,330 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ferrara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Ferrara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.