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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,187 in Formosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,967 in Formosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,747 in Formosa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than in Formosa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Formosa 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$15.52 ARS 23.5K

-22.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$53.1 ARS 80.2K

-10.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$13.19 ARS 20.0K

-10.92%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.74 ARS 5,664

10.16%

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

$1.40 MX$23.77

$2.13 ARS 3,221

-34.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$1.66 ARS 2,508

-45.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$3.72 ARS 5,619

-13.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.75 ARS 5,678

88.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.48

$1.34 ARS 2,021

25.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$2.12 ARS 3,213

1.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$1.58 ARS 2,396

12.03%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.82

$2.39 ARS 3,620

17.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.02 ARS 15.2K

-8.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.45 ARS 9,763

43.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$11.74 ARS 17.8K

7.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.35 ARS 3,554

25.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$2.24 ARS 3,395

-29.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$1.39 ARS 2,096

59.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.14

$2.12 ARS 3,202

11.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.85

$1.05 ARS 1,587

89.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.62

$0.98 ARS 1,487

102.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$1.58 ARS 2,384

-21.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$1.73 ARS 2,618

-30.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$3.27 ARS 4,951

40.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$5.10 ARS 7,717

106.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$2.07 ARS 3,125

-18.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$2.82 ARS 4,261

-1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$0.99 ARS 1,494

-39.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$1.57 ARS 2,376

233.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$1.01 ARS 1,531

261.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$7.28 ARS 11.0K

-20.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.15 ARS 1,745

33.91%

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

$22.8K MX$387.3K

$27.4K ARS 41.4M

-16.65%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$33.9K ARS 51.3M

-23.90%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$84.7 ARS 128.1K

7.06%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$16.82 ARS 25.4K

49.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$27.20 ARS 41.1K

16.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$29.86 ARS 45.2K

130.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$8.43 ARS 12.7K

-42.35%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$304 ARS 459.4K

-25.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$4,251 ARS 6.4M

-1.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$106 ARS 161.1K

-55.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$74.7 ARS 113.0K

-41.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$118 ARS 178.7K

-32.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$126 ARS 190.9K

-27.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$477 ARS 721.4K

127.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,942

$311 ARS 470.6K

31.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$974 ARS 1.5M

102.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$770 ARS 1.2M

66.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$2,412 ARS 3.6M

67.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

56.56

-79.76%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Formosa: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $477 in Formosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $53.0 in Formosa. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $248, with Formosa 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 Formosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Formosa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,780 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $477 in Formosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $304 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 $53.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,187 in Formosa versus $1,305 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 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.