Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Fernando Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Fernando

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,115 in San Fernando, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,786 in San Fernando, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,458 in San Fernando, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 16% more than San Fernando, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and San Fernando are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, San Fernando 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$10.59 MX$182

10.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$38.24 MX$658

9.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$8.01 MX$138

29.96%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$3.21 MX$55.3

12.46%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.29 MX$22.19

13.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.90 MX$15.53

7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.44 MX$42.02

19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$3.88 MX$66.7

19.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.42 MX$24.37

0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$2.53 MX$43.58

-24.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.54 MX$26.57

1.95%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.36 MX$40.66

11.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$8.13 MX$140

3.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$7.99 MX$138

7.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$10.68 MX$184

3.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.58 MX$44.43

4.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.41 MX$24.21

7.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.72 MX$29.59

11.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.61 MX$27.65

34.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.91 MX$32.94

-2.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.93 MX$33.20

15.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.26 MX$21.76

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.01 MX$17.46

5.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$4.06 MX$69.9

2.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$9.44 MX$162

9.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.62 MX$27.91

3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.87 MX$49.32

-11.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.65 MX$11.11

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$2.52 MX$43.41

26.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.56 MX$26.83

57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$8.37 MX$144

-61.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.32 MX$22.65

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$21.3K MX$367.0K

41.35%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$22.8K MX$392.7K

2.51%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$57.6 MX$991

41.21%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$22.28 MX$383

0.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$28.13 MX$484

6.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$36.42 MX$627

41.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$15.61 MX$269

17.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$4.55 MX$78.2

13.41%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$207 MX$3,562

-2.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$3,544 MX$61.0K

49.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$53.8 MX$926

-33.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$38.88 MX$669

3.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$90.3 MX$1,554

-12.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$79.7 MX$1,371

9.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$503 MX$8,659

88.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$404 MX$6,953

18.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$923 MX$15.9K

75.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$748 MX$12.9K

63.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$1,769 MX$30.4K

126.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,135 MX$19.5K

470.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.48

-0.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $503 in San Fernando. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in San Fernando. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $247 – making San Fernando the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 San Fernando: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 16%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,672 in San Fernando. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Fernando, 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 $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $1,115 in San Fernando. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $207 in San Fernando. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Fernando, where all-in costs run around $1,115, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. In San Fernando it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with San Fernando. 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.