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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,934 in Fox Glacier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,930 in Fox Glacier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,927 in Fox Glacier.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 35% less than in Fox Glacier, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Fox Glacier is 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$15.70 NZ$27.45

-26.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$69.4 NZ$121

-32.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$10.48 NZ$18.33

13.36%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.36 NZ$5.87

18.45%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$2.09 NZ$3.66

-31.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.82 NZ$3.19

-54.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$7.08 NZ$12.37

-54.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$5.49 NZ$9.59

23.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.55 NZ$2.71

8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.97 NZ$3.44

11.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.99 NZ$3.48

-14.07%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$5.10 NZ$8.91

-46.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.85 NZ$13.73

22.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$9.03 NZ$15.78

-0.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$13.46 NZ$23.52

-4.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.70 NZ$4.72

7.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.10 NZ$3.66

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$3.31 NZ$5.79

-35.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$5.50 NZ$9.61

-58.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.26 NZ$3.95

-12.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.60 NZ$2.80

24.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$2.21 NZ$3.87

-44.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.24 NZ$2.17

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$26.05 NZ$45.54

-82.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.18 NZ$14.31

26.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$2.71 NZ$4.73

-40.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.77 NZ$4.84

3.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.66 NZ$2.90

-63.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$72.4 NZ$127

-60.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.52 NZ$4.40

113.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.66 NZ$2.91

124.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$29.88 NZ$52.2

-80.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.56 NZ$2.74

-1.28%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$27.5K NZ$48.0K

-17.94%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$26.9K NZ$47.1K

-3.22%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$113 NZ$198

-19.25%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$28.39 NZ$49.62

-11.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$48.94 NZ$85.6

-36.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$45.66 NZ$79.8

47.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$10.10 NZ$17.66

-51.88%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$615 NZ$1,075

-63.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$12.9K NZ$22.5K

-67.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$56.5 NZ$98.8

-16.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$32.83 NZ$57.4

34.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$92.0 NZ$161

-12.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$96.6 NZ$169

-4.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$842 NZ$1,472

26.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$763 NZ$1,335

-48.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,493 NZ$2,610

43.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$1,329 NZ$2,323

-4.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$4,683 NZ$8,187

-14.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$3,681 NZ$6,436

76.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.4

112.04%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Fox Glacier: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $842 in Fox Glacier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $69.0 in Fox Glacier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $309 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 53% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,934 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 $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $2,900 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $842 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 151% less than in Fox Glacier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $615 in Fox Glacier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,934 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 53% less than in Fox Glacier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.