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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $645 in Fes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,031 in Fes, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,417 in Fes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 97% more than Fes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Fes are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Fes 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.75 MAD 34.73

216.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$33.19 MAD 307

29.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.90 MAD 54.5

80.51%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.57 MAD 14.49

119.75%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.48 MAD 4.47

212.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.41 MAD 3.77

131.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.97 MAD 27.51

2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.35 MAD 30.97

37.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.90 MAD 8.33

53.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.56 MAD 5.21

230.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.65 MAD 15.23

-2.42%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.00 MAD 18.47

29.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.28 MAD 114

-32.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.21 MAD 48.19

60.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.82 MAD 90.9

8.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.13 MAD 10.47

132.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.26 MAD 11.61

18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.73 MAD 6.77

163.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.87 MAD 8.05

140.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.80 MAD 7.44

132.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.88 MAD 8.15

156.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.47 MAD 4.35

125.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.64 MAD 5.92

70.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.13 MAD 38.17

0.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.00 MAD 46.21

107.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.51 MAD 23.22

-31.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.32 MAD 30.70

-21.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.45 MAD 4.19

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$11.06 MAD 102

143.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.68 MAD 6.31

360.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.49 MAD 4.49

412.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.30 MAD 39.74

-26.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.58 MAD 14.64

-19.62%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$37.7K MAD 348.8K

-19.45%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$29.6K MAD 274.2K

-20.50%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$34.34 MAD 318

141.70%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$11.05 MAD 102

105.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$25.36 MAD 235

16.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$26.62 MAD 246

91.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$24.84 MAD 230

-26.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.36 MAD 49.54

-8.02%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$53.7 MAD 497

267.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,330 MAD 30.8K

58.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$33.27 MAD 308

10.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$33.72 MAD 312

18.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$85.5 MAD 791

-6.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$63.3 MAD 586

41.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$285 MAD 2,639

235.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$149 MAD 1,375

220.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$412 MAD 3,808

299.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$217 MAD 2,010

463.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$743 MAD 6,869

427.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$356 MAD 3,292

1714.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$513 MAD 4,747

29.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.5

153.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Fes: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $285 in Fes. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $33.00 in Fes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $185 – making Fes 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 Fes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 97% more than Fes, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $968 in Fes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fes, 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $33.00 in Fes. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $645 in Fes. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fes, where all-in costs run around $645, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Fes 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. Fes costs $645 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Fes. 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.