Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fgura

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,955 in Fgura, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Fgura, Malta
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Fgura
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,955
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Fgura

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Fgura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,955 in Fgura.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Fgura $1,955

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,897 in Fgura.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Fgura $2,897

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,839 in Fgura.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Fgura $3,839

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 38% less than in Fgura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Fgura is 44% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Fgura
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$19.48 €17.46
-43.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$815
$58.4 €52.4
-25.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$13.43 €12.04
-12.29%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.6
$2.75 €2.46
38.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.10
$3.13 €2.80
-59.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.71
$2.26 €2.03
-65.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$4.57 €4.10
-30.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$5.20 €4.66
-5.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Fgura
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.43
$1.33 €1.20
6.02%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.66
$1.15 €1.03
93.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.64
$4.44 €3.98
-68.02%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.41
$4.33 €3.88
-41.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$137
$8.00 €7.17
-9.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$145
$10.57 €9.48
-27.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$239
$18.03 €16.15
-29.62%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$4.14 €3.71
-32.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.71
$2.71 €2.42
-49.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.94
$3.50 €3.14
-27.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.90
$3.41 €3.05
-37.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.43
$2.20 €1.98
-11.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.44
$1.89 €1.70
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.55
$2.26 €2.02
-49.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.16
$1.29 €1.15
-8.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.7
$6.87 €6.16
-37.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$8.16 €7.31
21.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.76
$1.69 €1.51
-6.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.2
$2.40 €2.15
11.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Fgura
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.40
$2.29 €2.05
-75.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.4
$5.71 €5.11
-12.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.6
$2.26 €2.02
47.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$26.78 €24.00
-79.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.14
$1.53 €1.37
-5.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.4K
$38.0K €34.1K
-45.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$441.0K
$39.2K €35.1K
-40.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Fgura
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,594
$102 €91.6
-17.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$440
$17.08 €15.30
37.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$539
$43.52 €39.00
-34.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Fgura
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,072
$64.9 €58.2
-12.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.6
$10.00 €8.96
-48.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Fgura
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,882
$363 €326
-43.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.8K
$11.3K €10.1K
-65.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Fgura
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$815
$87.0 €78.0
-50.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$779
$39.77 €35.64
4.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,394
$100 €90.0
-26.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,677
$77.7 €69.6
14.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Fgura
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$1,151 €1,031
-14.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,157
$937 €840
-59.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$1,740 €1,559
-1.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
$1,503 €1,347
-28.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.1K
$4,055 €3,633
-2.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.7K
$2,939 €2,633
109.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Fgura
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$2,102 €1,884
-65.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
2.9
294.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Fgura: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Fgura
$937 146% $556
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Fgura
$323 26.9% $69
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Fgura
$284 40.3% $82
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Fgura
$163 19% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Fgura
$137 22.8% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Fgura
$85 26.1% $18
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Fgura
$26 * 48.2% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,151 in Fgura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fgura pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $58 in Fgura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $323 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇹 Fgura
🕒 Local time
23:49 11:49 PM
05:49 5:49 AM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
11,670
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Fgura 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Fgura

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Fgura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Playa del Carmen and in Fgura?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,955 in Fgura, so Playa del Carmen is about 38% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Fgura?
Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,151 in Fgura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Playa del Carmen and Fgura?
Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $363 in Fgura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $58 in Fgura. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,955 in Fgura, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fgura. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Fgura?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Fgura?
It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Fgura on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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