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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,083 in Fond du Sac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,740 in Fond du Sac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,396 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 4% lower, Fond du Sac 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$6.73 MUR 315

77.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$43.54 MUR 2,035

-1.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$7.19 MUR 336

47.29%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.68 MUR 125

35.07%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.01 MUR 47.45

45.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.55 MUR 25.93

70.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.22 MUR 104

39.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.33 MUR 156

33.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.68 MUR 78.6

-14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.65 MUR 30.26

189.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.26 MUR 59.0

29.37%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.32 MUR 108

13.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$11.95 MUR 558

-31.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.03 MUR 282

37.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$12.56 MUR 587

-11.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.08 MUR 97.3

27.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.96 MUR 91.8

-23.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.44 MUR 67.5

38.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.75 MUR 129

-24.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.02 MUR 47.78

75.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.95 MUR 44.62

129.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.84 MUR 39.29

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.74 MUR 34.72

40.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$6.41 MUR 300

-38.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.75 MUR 409

16.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.72 MUR 80.3

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.24 MUR 105

11.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$1.04 MUR 48.39

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$4.29 MUR 201

-26.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$2.70 MUR 126

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$19.73 MUR 922

-84.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.46 MUR 68.4

-13.01%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$36.4K MUR 1.7M

-15.13%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$28.7K MUR 1.3M

-18.79%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$48.90 MUR 2,286

67.71%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$18.06 MUR 844

24.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$33.97 MUR 1,588

-12.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$38.44 MUR 1,797

34.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$5.95 MUR 278

-16.47%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$152 MUR 7,092

30.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$3,898 MUR 182.2K

35.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$85.8 MUR 4,012

-57.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$80.8 MUR 3,777

-50.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$134 MUR 6,257

-40.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$95.2 MUR 4,451

-6.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$516 MUR 24.1K

86.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$353 MUR 16.5K

31.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$957 MUR 44.8K

66.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$713 MUR 33.3K

69.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Fond du Sac: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $516 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 $251 vs $231, 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 $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,625 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $516 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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,083 in Fond du Sac – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,083 in Fond du Sac versus $1,287 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.