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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Playa del Carmen is about 9% cheaper than Castries, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$9.14 EC$24.67

28.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$74.5 EC$201

-37.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$8.54 EC$23.06

36.42%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$3.68 EC$9.93

11.14%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$1.88 EC$5.08

-27.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$0.93 EC$2.51

-10.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$2.71 EC$7.32

23.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.41 EC$9.21

102.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$2.08 EC$5.62

-16.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$1.90 EC$5.12

18.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$1.66 EC$4.48

6.63%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$4.73 EC$12.78

-42.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$11.04 EC$29.81

-16.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$9.16 EC$24.73

-2.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$14.61 EC$39.44

-13.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$8.65 EC$23.35

-65.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$1.68 EC$4.55

-6.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$8.00 EC$21.59

-73.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$14.84 EC$40.08

-84.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$3.38 EC$9.12

-40.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$1.99 EC$5.38

3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$2.19 EC$5.91

-46.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$1.31 EC$3.55

-8.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$9.03 EC$24.38

-48.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$11.04 EC$29.80

-3.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$2.19 EC$5.91

-26.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$5.61 EC$15.14

-48.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$1.09 EC$2.93

-47.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$9.23 EC$24.91

-40.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.56 EC$4.21

-0.64%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$25.5K EC$69.0K

-12.58%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$37.1K EC$100.2K

-30.10%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$124 EC$334

-27.89%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$87.1 EC$235

-71.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$48.46 EC$131

-35.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$40.82 EC$110

66.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$5.49 EC$14.82

-8.01%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$214 EC$579

4.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$83.0 EC$224

-42.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$51.7 EC$140

-13.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$112 EC$303

-26.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$110 EC$298

-16.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$451 EC$1,219

136.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$342 EC$923

18.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,225 EC$3,307

58.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$705 EC$1,903

84.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$101 EC$273

3849.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$63.8 EC$172

10286.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$1,094 EC$2,955

-31.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.75

47.74%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Castries: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Playa del Carmen vs Castries: 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 $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,133 in Castries. 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 $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $1,422 in Castries. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $214 in Castries. 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.