Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fox Glacier Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fox Glacier

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,845 in Fox Glacier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,869 in Fox Glacier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,894 in Fox Glacier.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 30% less than in Fox Glacier, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Fox Glacier is 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$15.04 NZ$25.71

-20.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$79.6 NZ$136

-46.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$9.56 NZ$16.34

10.77%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.50 NZ$5.99

3.43%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$2.34 NZ$4.01

-37.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$2.09 NZ$3.57

-55.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$7.34 NZ$12.55

-57.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$6.22 NZ$10.63

-28.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.80 NZ$3.07

-20.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.99 NZ$3.41

-5.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.82 NZ$3.11

-10.44%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$5.98 NZ$10.22

-55.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.29 NZ$14.18

-0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$9.35 NZ$15.98

-11.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$12.90 NZ$22.06

-13.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.70 NZ$4.61

-1.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.17 NZ$3.71

-30.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$3.00 NZ$5.12

-33.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$4.49 NZ$7.68

-53.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.05 NZ$3.51

-12.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.95 NZ$3.33

11.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$2.25 NZ$3.85

-52.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.15 NZ$1.96

-9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$23.85 NZ$40.78

-83.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$10.36 NZ$17.72

-1.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.52 NZ$4.31

-31.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.73 NZ$6.38

-32.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$2.10 NZ$3.59

-75.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$63.6 NZ$109

-57.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.78 NZ$4.76

12.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.85 NZ$3.16

29.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$35.72 NZ$61.1

-91.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.73 NZ$2.95

-26.59%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$28.3K NZ$48.5K

8.99%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$22.5K NZ$38.4K

3.85%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$145 NZ$249

-43.61%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$35.85 NZ$61.3

-37.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$51.7 NZ$88.4

-42.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$36.98 NZ$63.2

40.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$12.09 NZ$20.67

54.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$10.83 NZ$18.52

-54.11%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$743 NZ$1,270

-73.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

-56.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$69.0 NZ$118

-47.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$37.85 NZ$64.7

5.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$93.9 NZ$161

-14.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$117 NZ$200

-24.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$982 NZ$1,679

-1.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$791 NZ$1,352

-41.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,570 NZ$2,684

1.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$1,452 NZ$2,483

-16.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$5,212 NZ$8,913

-24.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$3,760 NZ$6,429

71.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.74

69.44%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Fox Glacier: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $982 in Fox Glacier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $80.0 in Fox Glacier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $314 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 Fox Glacier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Fox Glacier differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $1,845 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $2,767 in Fox Glacier 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $982 in Fox Glacier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 136% less than in Fox Glacier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $743 in Fox Glacier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,845 in Fox Glacier, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fox Glacier. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Fox Glacier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.