Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Francistown

For one person, living is cheaper in Francistown: $311 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Francistown

🇧🇼 Botswana

$311

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Francistown

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Francistown actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $311 in Francistown, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Francistown $311

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $513 in Francistown, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Francistown $513

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $715 in Francistown, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Francistown $715

Playa del Carmen costs about 290% more than Francistown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Francistown are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Francistown 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$1.44 P 19.23

122.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.30 P 17.48

12.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$0.63 P 8.47

269.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$1.86 P 24.95

32.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$6.09 P 81.7

29.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$6.41 P 86.0

99.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$1.08 P 14.45

170.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$1.45 P 19.38

-2.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$1.49 P 19.92

72.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$1.35 P 18.08

58.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$1.57 P 21.04

24.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$1.45 P 19.42

33.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$0.94 P 12.60

22.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$0.82 P 11.01

48.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$5.66 P 75.8

-22.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$1.48 P 19.88

4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$0.61 P 8.21

-14.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

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

$24.03 MX$441

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$29.68 P 398

118.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

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

$208 MX$3,813

$112 P 1,495

86.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$1,762 P 23.6K

129.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$59.6 P 799

-25.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$32.35 P 433

30.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$110 P 1,480

-31.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$110 P 1,471

-16.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$408 P 5,463

320.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Francistown: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Francistown

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Francistown

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Francistown

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Francistown

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Francistown

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Francistown

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Francistown

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇼 Francistown

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

13:44 1:44 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

100,079

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100 BWP = 7.46 USD

100 BWP = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 13.4 BWP (100 BWP = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Francistown 13,270 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Francistown

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Francistown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, $311 in Francistown – roughly 290% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $467 in Francistown. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $208 per month in Playa del Carmen and $112 in Francistown. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $311 in Francistown. That's a gap of about 290%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Francistown, where all-in costs run around $311, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. In Francistown it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $311 in Francistown to $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Francistown. 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.