Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Frederiksted

For one person, living is cheaper in Frederiksted: $355 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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

Frederiksted

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Frederiksted actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $355 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Frederiksted $355

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $745 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Frederiksted $745

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,136 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Frederiksted $1,136

Playa del Carmen costs about 243% more than Frederiksted, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Frederiksted are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Frederiksted 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$202

$30.02 $30.02

-63.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$826

$79.4 $79.4

-43.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$220

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.1

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

$1.31 MX$24.16

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.77

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.2

$7.17 $7.17

-55.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.3

$8.04 $8.04

-37.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.86

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.86

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.57

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.34

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$142

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$236

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.19

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.25

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.37

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.86

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.66

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.6

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$182

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$50.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.5

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$105

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.37

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

$21.2K MX$391.2K

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

$24.5K MX$451.1K

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

$83.6 MX$1,540

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

$24.03 MX$443

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$540

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,195

$60.8 $60.8

6.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.7

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

$208 MX$3,825

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$821

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$775

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,391

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,683

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.2K

$1,343 $1,343

-26.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,095

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$115.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$14.0K

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 Frederiksted: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Frederiksted

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Frederiksted

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Frederiksted

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Frederiksted

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Frederiksted

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Frederiksted

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Frederiksted

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,343 in Frederiksted. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $79.0 in Frederiksted. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇻🇮 Frederiksted

🕒 Local time

19:39 7:39 PM

20:39 8:39 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

528

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.43 USD

100 MXN = 4.84 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.42 MXN (100 MXN = 5.43 USD). 1 EUR = 20.64 MXN (100 MXN = 4.84 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Frederiksted 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Frederiksted

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 Frederiksted: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 243%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $532 in Frederiksted. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Frederiksted, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $355 in Frederiksted. That's a gap of about 243%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen and $79.0 in Frederiksted. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Frederiksted, where all-in costs run around $355, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. In Frederiksted it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Frederiksted – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Frederiksted. 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.