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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $492 in Flacq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,111 in Flacq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,729 in Flacq.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 157% more expensive than in Flacq, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Flacq 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.88 MUR 277

97.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.78 MUR 273

105.54%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.67 MUR 78.6

138.32%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.71 MUR 33.42

101.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.56 MUR 26.30

46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.39 MUR 65.7

129.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.13 MUR 100

-21.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.58 MUR 122

6.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$12.07 MUR 569

-20.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$1.99 MUR 94.0

352.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$14.38 MUR 678

-10.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.08 MUR 97.9

38.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.06 MUR 97.1

-27.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.06 MUR 97.3

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.61 MUR 123

-13.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.05 MUR 49.36

88.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.08 MUR 50.7

84.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.51 MUR 24.20

141.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.51 MUR 23.92

135.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.49 MUR 70.1

8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.61 MUR 75.9

78.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.91 MUR 42.93

-34.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$31.35 MUR 1,477

-8.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.05 MUR 49.32

413.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.41 MUR 66.6

9.22%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

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

$25.20 MX$435

$10.70 MUR 504

135.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$20.64 MUR 973

225.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.73 MUR 270

-15.18%

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

$224 MX$3,856

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$105 MUR 4,935

-55.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$73.9 MUR 3,484

8.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$105 MUR 4,952

-11.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$633 MUR 29.8K

100.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,135 MUR 53.5K

-33.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.65

146.24%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Flacq: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Flacq pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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 Flacq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Flacq wins on cost – living expenses run 157% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Flacq the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Flacq. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $492 in Flacq – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $492 in Flacq versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Flacq but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Flacq the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Flacq delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $492 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Flacq hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Flacq 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 Flacq gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.