Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mata Utu

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $5,221 in Mata Utu, rent and utilities included – about $48,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Mata Utu

🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna

$5,221

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Mata Utu

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,221 in Mata Utu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Mata Utu $5,221

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $6,618 in Mata Utu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Mata Utu $6,618

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $8,015 in Mata Utu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Mata Utu $8,015

Playa del Carmen is about 77% cheaper than Mata Utu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Mata Utu is 284% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$11.02 CFPF 1,176

-0.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$110 CFPF 11.8K

-60.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$7.83 CFPF 835

-51.34%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$5.56 CFPF 593

-76.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$3.29 CFPF 351

-76.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$5.65 CFPF 603

-12.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$11.06 CFPF 1,180

-89.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$4.59 CFPF 489

-74.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$17.00 CFPF 1,814

-74.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$16.57 CFPF 1,768

-39.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.86 CFPF 199

-22.58%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$143 CFPF 15.3K

-40.88%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$114 CFPF 12.1K

-79.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$3,321 CFPF 354.3K

-99.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$225 CFPF 24.0K

-80.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$90.9 CFPF 9,696

-54.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$224 CFPF 23.9K

-66.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$276 CFPF 29.4K

-67.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$909 CFPF 97.0K

7.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$915 CFPF 97.6K

-58.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$2,264 CFPF 241.6K

-24.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$2,266 CFPF 241.8K

-52.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$3,355 CFPF 358.0K

-78.11%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Mata Utu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Mata Utu

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Mata Utu

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Mata Utu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Mata Utu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Mata Utu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Mata Utu

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Mata Utu

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $909 in Mata Utu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mata Utu are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $110 in Mata Utu. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $132 in Mata Utu – so Mata Utu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇼🇫 Mata Utu

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

11:02 11:02 AM

17 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,200 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.37 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.37 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.42 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Mata Utu 10,430 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Mata Utu

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 Mata Utu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $5,221 in Mata Utu – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 77% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $7,832 in Mata Utu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $909 in Mata Utu. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $110 in Mata Utu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $5,221 in Mata Utu. That makes Playa del Carmen about 77% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Mata Utu at $5,221. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mata Utu 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $5,221 in Mata Utu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mata Utu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.