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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $764 in Fuvahmulah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,102 in Fuvahmulah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,441 in Fuvahmulah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 64% more expensive than in Fuvahmulah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Fuvahmulah 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.66 MVR 25.58

-13.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.91 MVR 14.05

102.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.47 MVR 7.23

234.04%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.54 MVR 23.80

62.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$6.43 MVR 99.2

28.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.77 MVR 73.6

76.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$13.08 MVR 202

-18.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.19 MVR 49.26

-18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.33 MVR 20.44

8.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.20 MVR 49.32

-38.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.63 MVR 25.14

28.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.11 MVR 17.16

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.09 MVR 16.80

99.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.64 MVR 25.34

-37.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.62 MVR 9.55

72.58%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.80 MVR 58.7

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$6.84 MVR 105

-40.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.66 MVR 10.21

-22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$19.20 MVR 296

35.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.60 MVR 24.70

101.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.66 MVR 25.65

45.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$6.39 MVR 98.5

-49.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.28 MVR 19.69

3.13%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$19.4K MVR 299.6K

52.86%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$22.4K MVR 345.6K

5.59%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$165 MVR 2,545

-50.31%

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

$22.95 MX$400

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$38.96 MVR 601

-22.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$23.09 MVR 356

125.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.23 MVR 204

40.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.43 MVR 99.1

-22.55%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$155 MVR 2,397

27.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$2,301 MVR 35.5K

131.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$29.49 MVR 455

20.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$19.37 MVR 299

108.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$38.97 MVR 601

102.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$51.8 MVR 799

71.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$322 MVR 4,969

193.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$255 MVR 3,928

86.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$556 MVR 8,567

195.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$526 MVR 8,118

129.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$352 MVR 5,421

1740.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$646 MVR 9,957

1.26%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $322 in Fuvahmulah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $322 in Fuvahmulah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $155 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 36% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $764 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,256 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 64% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.