Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fort Wellington Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fort Wellington

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,002 in Fort Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,677 in Fort Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,352 in Fort Wellington.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 30% more expensive than in Fort Wellington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Fort Wellington 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$17.91 GYD 3,725

-33.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$71.6 GYD 14.9K

-33.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$9.60 GYD 1,996

22.40%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$5.69 GYD 1,183

-27.59%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$1.21 GYD 251

15.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.65 GYD 135

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$1.86 GYD 387

72.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.38 GYD 704

109.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$3.16 GYD 657

-46.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$2.07 GYD 430

3.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$2.01 GYD 417

-11.94%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$4.00 GYD 831

-29.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$15.73 GYD 3,273

-41.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.86 GYD 1,426

34.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$8.82 GYD 1,835

43.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$8.19 GYD 1,702

-63.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$3.85 GYD 801

-58.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$4.11 GYD 854

-45.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$7.21 GYD 1,500

-67.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$2.37 GYD 492

-16.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$3.12 GYD 649

-36.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$2.99 GYD 623

-58.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$1.63 GYD 338

-25.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$3.27 GYD 680

40.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$16.97 GYD 3,529

-38.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$1.80 GYD 374

-6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$2.52 GYD 524

9.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$4.39 GYD 914

19.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$2.45 GYD 510

48.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$12.03 GYD 2,502

-51.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.03 GYD 215

49.51%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$27.2K GYD 5.7M

-16.09%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$23.1K GYD 4.8M

11.54%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$119 GYD 24.7K

-23.57%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$21.22 GYD 4,414

18.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$42.79 GYD 8,899

-25.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$6.40 GYD 1,331

-24.06%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$1,009 GYD 209.8K

-77.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$18.9K GYD 3.9M

-77.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$37.63 GYD 7,826

25.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$41.65 GYD 8,661

4.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$134 GYD 27.8K

-40.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$85.8 GYD 17.8K

6.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$967 GYD 201.1K

-20.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.94

64.99%

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 Fort Wellington: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Fort Wellington pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $72.0 in Fort Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $394 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 Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Wellington is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Fort Wellington. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,009 in Fort Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Fort Wellington – a meal for two runs $72.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,002 in Fort Wellington versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fort Wellington but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Fort Wellington the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fort Wellington 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 Fort Wellington 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 Fort Wellington 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.