Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fort-de-france Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fort-de-france

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,180 in Fort-de-france.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,453 in Fort-de-france.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,726 in Fort-de-france.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 41% less than in Fort-de-france, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Fort-de-france is 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$23.69 €20.39

-50.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$103 €88.3

-54.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$15.81 €13.61

-26.31%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$4.80 €4.13

-14.79%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$3.72 €3.20

-63.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$3.95 €3.40

-78.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$7.67 €6.60

-56.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$5.25 €4.52

31.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.75 €1.51

-1.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$1.96 €1.69

15.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$3.79 €3.26

-53.30%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$6.51 €5.60

-58.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$19.45 €16.74

-52.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$22.91 €19.72

-61.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$20.82 €17.92

-39.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$3.98 €3.43

-24.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$1.44 €1.24

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$3.06 €2.63

-30.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$6.62 €5.70

-65.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$1.99 €1.71

0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$2.28 €1.96

-9.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$1.69 €1.45

-30.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$0.74 €0.64

62.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$12.19 €10.49

-62.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$8.63 €7.43

23.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$1.84 €1.59

-11.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$2.85 €2.45

1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$1.69 €1.46

-66.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

$53.3 €45.86

-44.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$4.48 €3.85

21.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$2.11 €1.81

75.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$43.34 €37.29

-86.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$2.57 €2.21

-39.69%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$37.0K €31.8K

-39.65%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$34.3K €29.5K

-24.39%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$162 €139

-44.97%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$11.64 €10.02

115.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$50.3 €43.27

-37.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$39.04 €33.60

73.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$18.93 €16.29

52.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$11.58 €9.97

-56.39%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$533 €458

-57.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$4,063 €3,496

3.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$114 €98.4

-58.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$28.94 €24.90

55.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$155 €134

-47.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$217 €187

-57.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$1,045 €899

2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$751 €646

-46.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,766 €1,519

9.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$1,446 €1,244

-9.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$2,428 €2,090

64.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$2,783 €2,395

138.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$2,343 €2,016

-68.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.45

689.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Fort-de-france: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $1,045 in Fort-de-france. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort-de-france pays 213% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $103 in Fort-de-france for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $446 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Fort-de-france: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Fort-de-france. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 213% lower in Fort-de-france. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,045 in Fort-de-france. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Fort-de-france. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $103 in Fort-de-france. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,180 in Fort-de-france, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fort-de-france. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,293 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Fort-de-france 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Fort-de-france. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.