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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $616 in Fond du Sac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,011 in Fond du Sac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,405 in Fond du Sac.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 105% more expensive than in Fond du Sac, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Fond du Sac 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$5.75 MUR 273

101.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$28.13 MUR 1,336

67.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.54 MUR 358

57.56%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.62 MUR 124

51.91%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.08 MUR 51.4

32.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.65 MUR 31.08

26.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.09 MUR 99.2

52.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.61 MUR 124

160.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.55 MUR 73.8

8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.79 MUR 37.67

178.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.11 MUR 52.6

54.05%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.67 MUR 127

2.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$5.25 MUR 250

82.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.56 MUR 312

37.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$11.13 MUR 529

15.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.86 MUR 136

1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.72 MUR 129

-44.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.46 MUR 69.4

47.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.99 MUR 142

-24.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.94 MUR 44.48

110.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.00 MUR 47.34

99.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.75 MUR 35.55

64.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.84 MUR 40.04

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$6.49 MUR 308

-29.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.64 MUR 410

20.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.64 MUR 77.8

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.37 MUR 113

21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$4.18 MUR 199

28.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$3.12 MUR 148

19.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$20.87 MUR 991

-72.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.40 MUR 66.3

10.00%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$36.2K MUR 1.7M

-37.74%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$31.4K MUR 1.5M

-17.04%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$44.86 MUR 2,131

103.70%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$8.58 MUR 408

193.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$21.15 MUR 1,004

47.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$17.27 MUR 820

289.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$6.29 MUR 299

-22.73%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$127 MUR 6,030

76.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$7,616 MUR 361.7K

-44.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$78.7 MUR 3,739

-40.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$74.6 MUR 3,544

-40.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$118 MUR 5,616

-32.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$79.1 MUR 3,757

17.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

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: September 12, 2026

Last update for Fond du Sac: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Fond du Sac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $220 per month, with Fond du Sac 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 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 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $925 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $616 in Fond du Sac – a 105% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $616 in Fond du Sac versus $1,266 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 105% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.