Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fuvahmulah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fuvahmulah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $779 in Fuvahmulah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,126 in Fuvahmulah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,474 in Fuvahmulah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 66% more expensive than Fuvahmulah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Fuvahmulah 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.61 MVR 24.75

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.92 MVR 14.18

105.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.47 MVR 7.28

248.94%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.53 MVR 23.62

64.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.52 MVR 101

27.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.71 MVR 72.6

77.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$13.03 MVR 201

-17.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$3.20 MVR 49.27

-18.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.29 MVR 19.83

13.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$3.31 MVR 51.1

-42.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.60 MVR 24.61

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.08 MVR 16.65

64.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.11 MVR 17.16

97.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.60 MVR 24.71

-35.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.63 MVR 9.74

71.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.81 MVR 58.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$6.93 MVR 107

-41.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.64 MVR 9.80

-20.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$19.35 MVR 298

36.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.65 MVR 25.47

97.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.65 MVR 25.51

50.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$6.58 MVR 101

-50.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.32 MVR 20.29

-0.76%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$19.5K MVR 301.2K

55.02%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$22.5K MVR 347.7K

3.92%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$159 MVR 2,456

-47.98%

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

$22.22 MX$385

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$38.49 MVR 594

-23.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$22.51 MVR 347

129.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$13.06 MVR 201

40.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$6.55 MVR 101

-22.60%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$154 MVR 2,379

30.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$2,284 MVR 35.2K

128.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$28.82 MVR 444

28.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$18.82 MVR 290

111.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$38.43 MVR 593

104.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$52.1 MVR 803

67.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$325 MVR 5,014

199.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$262 MVR 4,040

78.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$553 MVR 8,532

196.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$512 MVR 7,899

138.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$352 MVR 5,430

1745.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$665 MVR 10.3K

-0.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $325 in Fuvahmulah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fuvahmulah pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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 Fuvahmulah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuvahmulah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Fuvahmulah earns 0% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $325 in Fuvahmulah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $154 in Fuvahmulah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Fuvahmulah runs roughly 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $779 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fuvahmulah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Fuvahmulah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fuvahmulah 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Fuvahmulah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Fuvahmulah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.