Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Fond du Sac: $625 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Fond du Sac, Mauritius
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Fond du Sac
🇲🇺 Mauritius
$625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Fond du Sac

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Fond du Sac actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $625 in Fond du Sac.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Fond du Sac $625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,027 in Fond du Sac.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Fond du Sac $1,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,429 in Fond du Sac.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Fond du Sac $1,429

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 93% more expensive than in Fond du Sac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Fond du Sac 54% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Fond du Sac
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$203
$5.92 MUR 279
84.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$805
$28.02 MUR 1,320
54.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$219
$7.45 MUR 351
58.12%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$70.7
$2.61 MUR 123
45.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.81
$1.04 MUR 49.15
23.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.54
$0.66 MUR 31.12
18.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$58.8
$2.11 MUR 99.2
50.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.7
$2.62 MUR 123
88.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Fond du Sac
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.12
$1.55 MUR 73.1
-9.03%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.17
$0.78 MUR 36.91
184.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.32
$1.16 MUR 54.8
22.41%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$46.85
$2.54 MUR 120
-0.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$5.18 MUR 244
40.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$6.43 MUR 303
19.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$236
$11.29 MUR 532
12.40%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.7
$2.74 MUR 129
1.46%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.41
$2.71 MUR 128
-49.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.37
$1.45 MUR 68.5
75.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.43
$3.02 MUR 142
-29.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.00
$0.95 MUR 44.65
104.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.02
$0.95 MUR 45.00
98.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.29
$0.69 MUR 32.74
66.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.89
$0.86 MUR 40.49
37.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$79.8
$6.65 MUR 313
-35.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$8.33 MUR 392
19.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.41
$1.63 MUR 77.0
-3.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.60
$2.39 MUR 113
11.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Fond du Sac
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.28
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$494
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.3
$4.30 MUR 202
15.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$61.9
$3.14 MUR 148
6.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.5
$20.98 MUR 989
-74.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.82
$1.41 MUR 66.3
2.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$383.8K
$36.5K MUR 1.7M
-43.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$435.8K
$30.7K MUR 1.4M
-23.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Fond du Sac
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,575
$45.19 MUR 2,130
87.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$435
$8.52 MUR 401
174.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$532
$21.40 MUR 1,008
33.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Fond du Sac
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,059
$16.87 MUR 795
238.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$537
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.4
$6.48 MUR 305
-20.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Fond du Sac
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,836
$129 MUR 6,075
60.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$72.9K
$7,627 MUR 359.4K
-48.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Fond du Sac
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$805
$78.0 MUR 3,676
-44.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$770
$75.0 MUR 3,534
-44.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,378
$122 MUR 5,742
-39.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,657
$76.9 MUR 3,624
16.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Fond du Sac
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.2K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,072
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.7K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Fond du Sac
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.67
71.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Fond du Sac: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Fond du Sac
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Fond du Sac
$218 14.4% $37
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Fond du Sac
$124 38.9% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Fond du Sac
$75 45.1% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Fond du Sac
$158 41.7% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Fond du Sac
$30 55.7% $37
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Fond du Sac
$20 * 60.4% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $28 in Fond du Sac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $218 per month, with Fond du Sac cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇺 Fond du Sac
🕒 Local time
01:14 1:14 AM
10:14 10:14 AM
9 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
2,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 47.12 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.81 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Fond du Sac 16,340 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Fond du Sac

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Fond du Sac cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Fond du Sac is about 48% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $937 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.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Fond du Sac?
Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Fond du Sac?
All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $625 in Fond du Sac – Fond du Sac is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Fond du Sac?
At $625 in Fond du Sac versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 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.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Fond du Sac?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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