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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,061 in Fond du Sac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,749 in Fond du Sac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,437 in Fond du Sac.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Fond du Sac 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.65 MUR 312

76.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$43.96 MUR 2,059

-4.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.01 MUR 328

49.93%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.62 MUR 123

37.02%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.97 MUR 45.53

55.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.59 MUR 27.84

55.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.15 MUR 101

37.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.35 MUR 157

31.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.63 MUR 76.3

-14.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.70 MUR 32.99

168.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.33 MUR 62.2

17.29%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.26 MUR 106

15.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$11.93 MUR 559

-30.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.13 MUR 287

36.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$12.90 MUR 604

-15.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.96 MUR 92.0

38.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.02 MUR 94.5

-25.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.51 MUR 70.7

23.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.63 MUR 123

-16.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.03 MUR 48.41

80.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.02 MUR 47.66

118.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.80 MUR 37.53

33.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.76 MUR 35.38

43.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.66 MUR 312

-37.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.65 MUR 405

20.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.73 MUR 80.9

-4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.15 MUR 101

21.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.05 MUR 48.98

-48.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.28 MUR 201

-28.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.74 MUR 128

-12.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$20.13 MUR 943

-84.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.39 MUR 65.2

-5.76%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$35.0K MUR 1.6M

-14.92%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

-19.20%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$49.26 MUR 2,307

65.00%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$18.09 MUR 847

24.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$33.43 MUR 1,566

-10.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$38.32 MUR 1,795

38.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.87 MUR 275

-16.18%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$156 MUR 7,320

28.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,922 MUR 183.7K

31.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$84.8 MUR 3,973

-57.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$81.2 MUR 3,805

-50.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$130 MUR 6,106

-38.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$94.8 MUR 4,442

-8.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$508 MUR 23.8K

92.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$359 MUR 16.8K

31.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$961 MUR 45.0K

71.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$709 MUR 33.2K

69.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Fond du Sac: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $508 in Fond du Sac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Fond du Sac. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,591 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $508 in Fond du Sac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,061 in Fond du Sac – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,061 in Fond du Sac versus $1,260 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.