Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Formosa Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Formosa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $968 in Formosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,567 in Formosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,166 in Formosa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 30% more expensive than in Formosa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Formosa 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$10.62 ARS 15.7K

12.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$34.12 ARS 50.4K

22.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$8.97 ARS 13.3K

19.84%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.76 ARS 4,076

26.81%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.65 ARS 2,437

-12.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$1.55 ARS 2,296

-43.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$2.06 ARS 3,047

43.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$3.06 ARS 4,520

47.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.26 ARS 1,861

13.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.56 ARS 2,303

17.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.97 ARS 2,910

-20.30%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.24 ARS 3,313

12.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$10.24 ARS 15.1K

-19.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$6.11 ARS 9,026

37.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$9.63 ARS 14.2K

10.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.03 ARS 3,000

28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$2.05 ARS 3,030

-29.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.26 ARS 1,856

55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$2.63 ARS 3,881

-20.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.17 ARS 1,735

58.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.19 ARS 1,765

82.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.31 ARS 1,938

-21.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$1.47 ARS 2,175

-27.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$3.17 ARS 4,688

29.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$5.54 ARS 8,185

83.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.05 ARS 3,031

-18.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$3.15 ARS 4,658

-19.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.77 ARS 1,136

-33.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$1.54 ARS 2,277

109.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.87 ARS 1,291

177.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$5.84 ARS 8,639

-44.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.10 ARS 1,630

20.00%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$27.4K ARS 40.4M

8.51%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$30.1K ARS 44.4M

-21.29%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$67.9 ARS 100.3K

20.80%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$16.82 ARS 24.9K

36.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$22.35 ARS 33.0K

34.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$26.31 ARS 38.9K

97.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$13.65 ARS 20.2K

35.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$6.34 ARS 9,369

-21.45%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$223 ARS 329.5K

-11.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$2,679 ARS 4.0M

99.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$74.3 ARS 109.8K

-52.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$68.5 ARS 101.3K

-41.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$116 ARS 171.0K

-31.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$113 ARS 166.4K

-21.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$335 ARS 494.6K

182.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$240 ARS 354.7K

97.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$694 ARS 1.0M

136.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$532 ARS 785.6K

127.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$2,366 ARS 3.5M

71.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$1,578 ARS 2.3M

309.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

58.5

-80.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Formosa: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $335 in Formosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Formosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $232 per month, with Formosa 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 Formosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Formosa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,452 in Formosa 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $335 in Formosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $223 in Formosa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Formosa – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $968 in Formosa versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Formosa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Formosa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Formosa 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 Formosa 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 Formosa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.