Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fond du Sac Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fond du Sac

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,065 in Fond du Sac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,731 in Fond du Sac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,397 in Fond du Sac.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 19% more expensive than Fond du Sac, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Fond du Sac 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.58 MUR 310

80.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$43.78 MUR 2,062

-2.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.98 MUR 328

52.58%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.64 MUR 124

30.68%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.02 MUR 48.04

47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.60 MUR 28.31

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.26 MUR 106

34.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.37 MUR 159

36.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.62 MUR 76.2

-14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.65 MUR 30.74

184.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.28 MUR 60.1

25.78%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.33 MUR 110

11.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.03 MUR 567

-31.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.24 MUR 294

34.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.86 MUR 606

-17.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.01 MUR 94.5

30.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.02 MUR 95.3

-26.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.50 MUR 70.7

28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.64 MUR 124

-20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.99 MUR 46.50

87.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.99 MUR 46.81

128.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.79 MUR 37.11

34.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.81 MUR 38.32

34.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.48 MUR 305

-35.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.25 MUR 388

25.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.73 MUR 81.4

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.16 MUR 102

20.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.99 MUR 46.59

-45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.51 MUR 212

-30.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.71 MUR 128

-7.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$19.60 MUR 923

-83.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.45 MUR 68.2

-12.41%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.3K MUR 1.7M

-13.88%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

-18.41%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$49.87 MUR 2,348

66.43%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$18.53 MUR 872

22.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$33.89 MUR 1,596

-13.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$38.52 MUR 1,814

32.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.01 MUR 283

-17.97%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$153 MUR 7,206

28.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,977 MUR 187.3K

32.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$86.5 MUR 4,073

-57.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$80.5 MUR 3,791

-50.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$131 MUR 6,148

-38.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$96.4 MUR 4,541

-7.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$505 MUR 23.8K

89.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$357 MUR 16.8K

33.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$956 MUR 45.0K

72.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$714 MUR 33.6K

71.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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 Fond du Sac: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $505 in Fond du Sac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Fond du Sac. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $232, with Fond du Sac cheaper for home cooking.

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 Fond du Sac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fond du Sac is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,597 in Fond du Sac 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $505 in Fond du Sac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,065 in Fond du Sac – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,065 in Fond du Sac versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fond du Sac but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Fond du Sac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fond du Sac 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 Fond du Sac 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 Fond du Sac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.