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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $946 in Foca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,406 in Foca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,866 in Foca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 37% more expensive than Foca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Foca 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.04 BAM 11.87

66.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$16.61 BAM 27.98

150.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.86 BAM 14.93

20.09%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.66 BAM 2.80

112.05%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.02 BAM 1.72

48.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.55 BAM 0.93

76.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.08 BAM 3.50

41.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.88 BAM 4.86

54.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.16 BAM 1.95

18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.16 BAM 1.96

62.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.63 BAM 2.75

0.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$3.03 BAM 5.10

-17.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$9.38 BAM 15.80

-11.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$5.37 BAM 9.05

55.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$12.23 BAM 20.61

-12.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$0.91 BAM 1.54

185.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.59 BAM 2.67

-8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.95 BAM 3.28

-2.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.95 BAM 3.28

6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.19 BAM 2.00

49.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.25 BAM 2.11

75.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.22 BAM 2.06

-14.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.72 BAM 1.22

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.71 BAM 6.26

9.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$8.28 BAM 13.95

24.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$0.72 BAM 1.21

137.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.12 BAM 1.90

130.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$1.75 BAM 2.95

-70.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$34.84 BAM 58.7

-24.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.46 BAM 2.46

123.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.56 BAM 0.94

344.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$9.08 BAM 15.30

-64.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.54 BAM 2.60

-14.94%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$29.1K BAM 49.0K

4.21%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$27.1K BAM 45.7K

-13.70%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$174 BAM 293

-52.33%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$18.69 BAM 31.49

18.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$23.44 BAM 39.50

25.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$29.75 BAM 50.1

73.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$11.01 BAM 18.54

66.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$4.69 BAM 7.90

8.10%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$238 BAM 401

-15.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$3,653 BAM 6,154

42.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$75.4 BAM 127

-51.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$36.88 BAM 62.1

7.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$71.9 BAM 121

9.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$123 BAM 207

-29.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$158 BAM 266

516.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$171 BAM 288

173.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$364 BAM 614

350.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$316 BAM 533

286.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$2,551 BAM 4,298

54.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,858 BAM 3,130

249.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.02

127.49%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Foca: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $158 in Foca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Foca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $207 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. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,418 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: $973 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $238 in Foca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $946 in Foca versus $1,297 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 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.