Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Charlotte Amalie

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,365 in Charlotte Amalie, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities 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

$1,202

/mo nomad

Charlotte Amalie

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Charlotte Amalie

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,365 in Charlotte Amalie, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Charlotte Amalie $2,365

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,182 in Charlotte Amalie, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Charlotte Amalie $4,182

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,998 in Charlotte Amalie, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Charlotte Amalie $5,998

Playa del Carmen is about 49% cheaper than Charlotte Amalie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Charlotte Amalie is 75% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$25.12 $25.12

-57.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$823

$118 $118

-63.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$221

$12.79 $12.79

-7.82%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.1

$7.22 $7.22

-47.51%

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

$1.30 MX$24.36

$3.05 $3.05

-57.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.65

$2.46 $2.46

-66.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.1

$5.39 $5.39

-41.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$6.93 $6.93

-28.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.46

$2.79 $2.79

-49.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.23

$8.86 $8.86

-75.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.66

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.89

$7.17 $7.17

-65.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.4

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.98

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.78

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.12

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.03

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.49

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.27

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.2

$4.92 $4.92

-13.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$19.93 $19.93

-50.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.6

$6.83 $6.83

-59.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.67

$6.17 $6.17

-91.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.4

$19.93 $19.93

-76.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.70

$1.35 $1.35

13.33%

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

$21.2K MX$398.4K

$45.8K $45.8K

-53.64%

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

$23.3K MX$436.9K

$48.7K $48.7K

-52.26%

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

$83.5 MX$1,568

$301 $301

-72.30%

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

$23.19 MX$435

$61.0 $61.0

-61.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$519

$101 $101

-72.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,060

$199 $199

-71.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.9

$11.84 $11.84

-57.77%

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

$207 MX$3,889

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$816

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$799

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,367

$89.1 $89.1

-18.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,660

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$1,261 $1,261

-21.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,181

$1,006 $1,006

-61.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.4K

$3,493 $3,493

-52.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$3,014 $3,014

-64.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Charlotte Amalie: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,261 in Charlotte Amalie. 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 $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $118 in Charlotte Amalie. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $199 in Charlotte Amalie – so Charlotte Amalie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇻🇮 Charlotte Amalie

🕒 Local time

23:23 11:23 PM

00:23 12:23 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

14,477 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.08 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Playa del Carmen Charlotte Amalie 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Charlotte Amalie

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 Charlotte Amalie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Charlotte Amalie is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,547 in Charlotte Amalie. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,261 in Charlotte Amalie.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Charlotte Amalie – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen and $118 in Charlotte Amalie. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Charlotte Amalie at $2,365. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Charlotte Amalie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $2,365 in Charlotte Amalie. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.