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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $977 in Fourways, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,472 in Fourways, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,966 in Fourways, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 30% more than Fourways, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Fourways are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Fourways 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.53 R 138

39.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$27.94 R 452

53.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.72 R 76.2

125.64%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.12 R 34.31

62.74%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.03 R 16.60

45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.88 R 14.25

7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.20 R 35.56

37.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.88 R 46.49

60.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.97 R 15.63

42.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.83 R 13.45

122.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.54 R 24.91

4.55%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.08 R 33.63

24.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$6.29 R 102

31.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.50 R 56.5

139.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$6.54 R 106

63.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.37 R 22.17

91.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.55 R 25.06

-3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.66 R 26.90

15.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.58 R 25.61

32.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.31 R 21.10

41.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.18 R 19.02

91.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.08 R 17.41

-1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.89 R 14.44

22.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.85 R 46.13

45.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.27 R 85.2

97.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.50 R 24.20

14.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.83 R 29.60

42.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.62 R 26.18

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.38 R 22.26

126.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.32 R 21.27

90.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$3.12 R 50.4

0.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.27 R 20.55

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$14.2K R 230.0K

113.47%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$22.5K R 364.4K

4.56%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$83.0 R 1,342

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

$22.71 MX$390

$37.40 R 605

-39.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$38.21 R 618

-22.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$30.36 R 491

67.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$15.69 R 254

16.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.17 R 116

-31.24%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$195 R 3,160

0.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,384 R 70.9K

20.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$50.4 R 814

-26.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$31.80 R 514

25.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$73.1 R 1,182

9.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$89.8 R 1,451

-0.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$361 R 5,840

164.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$363 R 5,870

31.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$695 R 11.2K

136.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$641 R 10.4K

91.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,647 R 26.6K

-59.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.69

-2.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Fourways: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $361 in Fourways. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 147% higher in Fourways, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.00 in Fourways. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $162 – making Fourways the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Fourways: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 30% more than Fourways, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,466 in Fourways. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fourways, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $28.00 in Fourways. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fourways, where all-in costs run around $977, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Fourways it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fourways costs $977 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Fourways. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.