Cost of Living Comparison Between Castries and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Castries and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,422 per month in Castries vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,362 per month in Castries vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,302 per month in Castries vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Castries costs about 10% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Castries sits 3% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 EC$24.67

$11.71 MX$198

-21.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 EC$201

$46.59 MX$786

59.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 EC$23.06

$11.65 MX$197

-26.70%

Cappuccino

$3.68 EC$9.93

$4.09 MX$69.1

-10.02%

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

$1.88 EC$5.08

$1.37 MX$23.20

37.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 EC$2.51

$0.83 MX$14.07

12.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 EC$7.32

$3.35 MX$56.6

-19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 EC$9.21

$6.91 MX$117

-50.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 EC$5.62

$1.73 MX$29.15

20.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 EC$5.12

$2.26 MX$38.15

-15.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 EC$4.48

$1.77 MX$29.86

-6.21%

Eggs

$4.73 EC$12.78

$2.73 MX$46.12

73.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 EC$29.81

$9.18 MX$155

20.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 EC$24.73

$8.92 MX$151

2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 EC$39.44

$12.60 MX$213

15.95%

Apples (1kg)

$8.65 EC$23.35

$3.02 MX$51.0

186.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 EC$4.55

$1.57 MX$26.51

7.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.00 EC$21.59

$2.13 MX$35.88

275.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$14.84 EC$40.08

$2.26 MX$38.22

556.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 EC$9.12

$2.00 MX$33.82

69.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 EC$5.38

$2.06 MX$34.85

-3.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 EC$5.91

$1.18 MX$19.91

85.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 EC$3.55

$1.20 MX$20.32

9.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.03 EC$24.38

$4.63 MX$78.2

95.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 EC$29.80

$10.69 MX$180

3.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 EC$5.91

$1.62 MX$27.33

35.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 EC$15.14

$2.88 MX$48.63

94.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 EC$2.93

$0.57 MX$9.68

91.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.23 EC$24.91

$5.45 MX$91.9

69.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 EC$4.21

$1.55 MX$26.22

0.65%

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

$25.5K EC$69.0K

$22.3K MX$376.8K

14.39%

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

$37.1K EC$100.2K

$25.9K MX$438.0K

43.07%

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

$124 EC$334

$89.1 MX$1,504

38.67%

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

$87.1 EC$235

$25.04 MX$423

247.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.46 EC$131

$31.50 MX$532

53.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 EC$110

$67.8 MX$1,144

-39.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 EC$14.82

$5.05 MX$85.2

8.71%

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

$214 EC$579

$225 MX$3,797

-4.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 EC$224

$47.44 MX$801

74.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 EC$140

$44.98 MX$759

14.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 EC$303

$82.0 MX$1,384

36.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 EC$298

$92.1 MX$1,555

19.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 EC$1,219

$1,069 MX$18.0K

-57.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 EC$923

$405 MX$6,842

-15.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 EC$3,307

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-36.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 EC$1,903

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-45.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$101 EC$273

$3,995 MX$67.4K

-97.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$63.8 EC$172

$6,626 MX$111.8K

-99.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,094 EC$2,955

$749 MX$12.6K

46.17%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $451 in Castries versus $1,069 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 46% 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 $75.0 in Castries versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $277 – making Playa del Carmen 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

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

Castries costs about 10% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,133 per month in Castries and $1,940 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 $1,422 in Castries and $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $214 per month in Castries and $225 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 $1,293, than in Castries at $1,422. 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 $1,293 versus $1,422 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.