Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Franco da Rocha Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Franco da Rocha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $814 in Franco da Rocha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,309 in Franco da Rocha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,804 in Franco da Rocha.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 55% more expensive than Franco da Rocha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Franco da Rocha 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$6.48 R$32.21

80.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$33.46 R$166

25.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$7.14 R$35.48

45.66%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.81 R$8.99

99.45%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.32 R$6.55

11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.91 R$4.50

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.76 R$8.74

72.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$3.32 R$16.50

34.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.09 R$5.40

26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$1.53 R$7.58

20.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.29 R$6.41

24.81%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.40 R$11.95

7.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.98 R$39.68

6.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$3.83 R$19.03

121.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$8.77 R$43.58

25.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.18 R$10.86

25.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.78 R$8.86

-15.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.40 R$6.96

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.55 R$7.68

36.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.25 R$6.20

48.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.13 R$5.59

92.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.80 R$3.99

33.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.60 R$3.00

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.71 R$13.49

54.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$9.76 R$48.50

5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.38 R$6.86

21.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$3.40 R$16.88

-26.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.86 R$4.28

-37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$38.22 R$190

-31.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$0.89 R$4.40

248.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.07 R$5.30

129.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$8.75 R$43.48

-62.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.04 R$5.18

21.15%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$22.2K R$110.1K

36.12%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$29.4K R$146.1K

-20.24%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$46.67 R$232

79.97%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$14.92 R$74.2

48.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$18.37 R$91.3

61.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$22.35 R$111

135.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$21.92 R$109

-16.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$5.27 R$26.20

-6.07%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$314 R$1,560

-36.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$6,954 R$34.6K

-23.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$56.5 R$281

-36.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$52.2 R$259

-23.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$87.0 R$432

-9.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$70.7 R$351

22.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$316 R$1,569

209.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$217 R$1,079

116.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$576 R$2,861

177.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$424 R$2,107

186.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,753 R$8,715

129.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,354 R$6,729

385.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

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 19, 2026

Last update for Franco da Rocha: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $316 in Franco da Rocha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $33 in Franco da Rocha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $195 per month, with Franco da Rocha 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 Franco da Rocha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Franco da Rocha differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $814 including rent). Franco da Rocha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $1,221 in Franco da Rocha 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $316 in Franco da Rocha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $814 in Franco da Rocha – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Franco da Rocha runs roughly 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $814 in Franco da Rocha versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Franco da Rocha but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Franco da Rocha 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 Franco da Rocha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.