Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castries and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,438 in Castries, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Castries
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Castries Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Castries

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$1,438

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Castries and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,438 per month in Castries vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Castries $1,438
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,357 per month in Castries vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Castries $2,357
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,276 per month in Castries vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Castries $3,276
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Castries costs about 19% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Castries sits 6% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.45 EC$25.52

$10.86 MX$201

-12.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 EC$199

$44.21 MX$817

66.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 EC$23.12

$11.76 MX$217

-27.21%

Cappuccino

$3.81 EC$10.29

$3.68 MX$68.0

3.53%

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

$1.98 EC$5.34

$1.34 MX$24.79

47.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 EC$2.65

$0.82 MX$15.24

19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 EC$7.58

$3.06 MX$56.6

-8.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 EC$8.75

$4.94 MX$91.2

-34.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 EC$5.48

$1.47 MX$27.17

38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 EC$4.88

$2.22 MX$40.95

-18.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 EC$4.46

$1.48 MX$27.32

11.49%

Eggs

$4.74 EC$12.81

$2.49 MX$45.99

90.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 EC$29.69

$7.52 MX$139

46.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 EC$24.46

$7.96 MX$147

13.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 EC$39.15

$12.57 MX$232

15.35%

Apples (1kg)

$8.79 EC$23.73

$2.78 MX$51.3

216.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 EC$4.34

$1.43 MX$26.37

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.28 EC$22.36

$2.62 MX$48.37

216.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$14.53 EC$39.22

$2.14 MX$39.49

578.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 EC$9.31

$2.02 MX$37.38

70.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 EC$5.37

$1.99 MX$36.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 EC$6.16

$1.14 MX$21.01

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 EC$3.47

$1.20 MX$22.18

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.17 EC$24.77

$4.26 MX$78.7

115.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 EC$29.66

$10.02 MX$185

9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 EC$5.97

$1.54 MX$28.41

43.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 EC$14.57

$2.66 MX$49.17

103.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 EC$2.93

$0.53 MX$9.73

103.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.47 EC$25.57

$4.90 MX$90.6

93.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 EC$4.21

$1.45 MX$26.76

7.59%

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

$26.0K EC$70.1K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

22.75%

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

$37.1K EC$100.2K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

61.26%

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

$121 EC$327

$85.4 MX$1,577

41.85%

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

$87.8 EC$237

$23.46 MX$434

274.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.26 EC$133

$28.43 MX$525

73.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.19 EC$111

$62.2 MX$1,149

-33.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.67 EC$15.30

$5.10 MX$94.3

11.18%

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

$214 EC$579

$201 MX$3,715

6.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 EC$222

$44.39 MX$820

84.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 EC$137

$41.35 MX$764

22.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 EC$294

$72.7 MX$1,344

49.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 EC$301

$89.6 MX$1,656

24.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 EC$1,212

$979 MX$18.1K

-54.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 EC$937

$373 MX$6,887

-6.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 EC$3,300

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-27.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 EC$1,910

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-35.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$102 EC$274

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-97.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$64.5 EC$174

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-98.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 EC$2,952

$738 MX$13.6K

48.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.75

11.45

-32.31%

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

Last update for Castries: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Castries

$428 29.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 39.6% $169

Accommodation & Living

Castries

$347 24.2%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 7.4% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castries

$258 18%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 46.8% $121

Eating Out

Castries

$179 12.5%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 11.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Castries

$159 11.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 29.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Castries

$53 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 37.9% $20

Getting Around

Castries

$14 * 1%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 274% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $449 in Castries versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 48% higher in Castries, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Castries versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $428 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇨 Castries

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:29 12:29 AM

23:29 11:29 PM

1 h behind Castries

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,000 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.329 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.04 XCD (1 XCD = 0.329 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Castries Playa del Carmen 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Castries
Playa del Carmen

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

Castries vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castries costs about 19% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,157 per month in Castries and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,438 in Castries and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 19%.

Kindergarten costs $214 per month in Castries and $201 in Playa del Carmen. 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 Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Castries at $1,438. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Castries it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $1,438 in Castries. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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