Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Navua

For one person, living is cheaper in Navua: $66.2 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 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

$1,204

/mo nomad

Navua

🇫🇯 Fiji

$66.2

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $66.2 in Navua.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Navua $66.2

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $110 in Navua.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Navua $110

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $153 in Navua.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Navua $153

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 1719% more expensive than in Navua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Navua 95% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$6.35 FJD 14.21

85.20%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$0.57 FJD 1.28

289.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$3.11 FJD 6.96

-19.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$4.74 FJD 10.61

-44.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.48 FJD 3.31

44.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.89 FJD 1.99

126.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

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

$23.46 MX$434

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

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 17, 2026

Last update for Navua: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Navua

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Navua

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Navua

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Navua

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Navua

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Navua

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Navua

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇫🇯 Navua

🕒 Local time

16:16 4:16 PM

09:16 9:16 AM

17 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

5,812

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.397 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.52 FJD (1 FJD = 0.397 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Navua 11,190 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Navua

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 Navua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Navua differ by about 1719% in total monthly costs ($1,204 vs $66.2 including rent). Navua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $99.3 in Navua 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 448% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $66.2 in Navua – a 1719% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $66.2 in Navua versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Navua but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Navua 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Navua 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 Navua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1719% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.