Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Francisco Morato Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Francisco Morato

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $798 in Francisco Morato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,309 in Francisco Morato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,821 in Francisco Morato.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 61% more expensive than Francisco Morato, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Francisco Morato 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.27 R$31.27

90.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$32.59 R$163

31.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.19 R$35.89

47.29%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.80 R$8.97

101.11%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.37 R$6.84

7.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.87 R$4.35

8.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.76 R$8.80

75.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.47 R$17.30

28.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.13 R$5.64

26.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.52 R$7.60

23.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.27 R$6.31

28.35%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.29 R$11.41

15.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.08 R$40.34

1.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.73 R$18.60

122.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.63 R$43.06

28.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.24 R$11.20

18.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.78 R$8.90

-15.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.48 R$7.39

34.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.58 R$7.87

31.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.31 R$6.55

36.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.14 R$5.70

91.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.76 R$3.79

42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.65 R$3.24

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.69 R$13.41

47.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$9.69 R$48.33

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.32 R$6.57

31.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.33 R$16.61

-24.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.94 R$4.71

-44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$38.91 R$194

-30.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.86 R$4.29

265.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.02 R$5.07

135.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.41 R$41.97

-63.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.01 R$5.06

25.74%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$22.4K R$111.9K

37.75%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$29.4K R$146.5K

-20.58%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$47.80 R$239

71.57%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$15.07 R$75.2

48.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$19.04 R$95.0

55.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$22.27 R$111

132.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$21.73 R$108

-14.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.27 R$26.29

-5.69%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$313 R$1,561

-36.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$6,840 R$34.1K

-22.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$57.9 R$289

-37.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$52.5 R$262

-23.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$83.9 R$418

-4.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$72.0 R$359

23.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$312 R$1,555

209.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$218 R$1,087

113.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$590 R$2,946

170.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$436 R$2,175

177.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,692 R$8,445

132.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,193 R$5,955

440.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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 Francisco Morato: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $312 in Francisco Morato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Francisco Morato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $195 per month, with Francisco Morato 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 Francisco Morato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Francisco Morato is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,196 in Francisco Morato 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 $312 in Francisco Morato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Francisco Morato – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $798 in Francisco Morato – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $798 in Francisco Morato versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Francisco Morato but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Francisco Morato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Francisco Morato 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.

Expats usually find Francisco Morato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.