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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $996 in Foca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,435 in Foca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,873 in Foca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 31% more expensive than in Foca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Foca 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$5.35 BAM 8.98

123.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$800

$23.42 BAM 39.33

102.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$198

$4.73 BAM 7.94

148.41%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.6

$1.59 BAM 2.67

159.12%

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

$1.40 MX$23.63

$1.38 BAM 2.31

1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.40

$0.86 BAM 1.44

5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.1

$1.81 BAM 3.04

77.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$119

$2.39 BAM 4.02

195.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.31

$1.22 BAM 2.04

37.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.31

$1.14 BAM 1.92

88.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.96

$1.63 BAM 2.74

8.59%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.54

$2.08 BAM 3.49

35.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$155

$6.99 BAM 11.74

31.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$6.64 BAM 11.15

39.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$213

$10.55 BAM 17.72

19.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.83

$0.86 BAM 1.44

243.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.66

$1.74 BAM 2.93

-9.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.53

$2.31 BAM 3.89

-3.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.90

$1.76 BAM 2.95

34.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.65

$1.06 BAM 1.78

87.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.42

$1.40 BAM 2.35

41.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.94

$1.19 BAM 1.99

4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.46

$0.95 BAM 1.60

27.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.7

$3.67 BAM 6.17

25.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$8.31 BAM 13.95

26.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.56

$0.92 BAM 1.54

83.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.84

$1.17 BAM 1.96

136.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.17

$1.36 BAM 2.28

-55.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.4

$1.80 BAM 3.03

191.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.6

$0.57 BAM 0.96

540.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.7

$17.52 BAM 29.43

-67.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$25.97

$1.57 BAM 2.63

-1.91%

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

$22.8K MX$385.0K

$31.8K BAM 53.4K

-28.31%

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

$25.8K MX$435.8K

$22.2K BAM 37.3K

16.37%

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

$90.7 MX$1,531

$163 BAM 273

-44.29%

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

$25.19 MX$425

$16.91 BAM 28.40

48.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$536

$35.86 BAM 60.2

-11.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,162

$33.81 BAM 56.8

103.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$496

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.1

$6.08 BAM 10.22

-20.07%

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

$226 MX$3,811

$306 BAM 514

-26.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.8K

$3,664 BAM 6,154

14.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$800

$86.3 BAM 145

-45.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$734

$36.91 BAM 62.0

17.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,355

$70.6 BAM 119

13.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,543

$148 BAM 249

-38.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.3K

$158 BAM 265

588.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,900

$259 BAM 435

57.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

$538 BAM 903

266.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.6K

$379 BAM 637

237.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.3K

$2,488 BAM 4,179

62.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.2K

$1,854 BAM 3,113

261.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.44

157.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Foca: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $158 in Foca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Foca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $203 per month, with Foca 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 Foca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,494 in Foca to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $158 in Foca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $306 in Foca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Foca – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $996 in Foca versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Foca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Foca 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 Foca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.