Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jamestown

For one person, living is cheaper in Jamestown: $89.6 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Other living expenses 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

$1,204

/mo nomad

Jamestown

🇸🇭 Saint Helena

$89.6

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $90 in Jamestown, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Jamestown $90

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $157 in Jamestown, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Jamestown $157

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $224 in Jamestown, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Jamestown $224

Playa del Carmen costs about 1244% more than Jamestown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Jamestown are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Jamestown 93% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$805

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$70.7

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

$1.28 MX$23.81

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$58.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.12

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.17

$1.91 SHP 1.43

16.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.32

Eggs

$2.52 MX$46.85

$5.46 SHP 4.07

-53.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$10.74 SHP 8.01

18.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.41

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.37

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.43

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.00

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.02

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.89

$1.37 SHP 1.02

-13.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$79.8

$11.99 SHP 8.94

-64.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$61.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.82

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

$20.7K MX$383.8K

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

$23.5K MX$435.8K

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

$84.8 MX$1,575

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

$23.41 MX$435

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$532

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,059

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$537

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.4

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

$207 MX$3,836

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$805

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$770

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,378

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,657

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,072

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.6K

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jamestown: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Jamestown

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Jamestown

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Jamestown

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Jamestown

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Jamestown

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Jamestown

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Jamestown

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇸🇭 Jamestown

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

04:54 4:54 AM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

600 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Saint Helena Pound SHP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

1 SHP = 1.34 USD

1 SHP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Saint Helena Pound exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.746 SHP (1 SHP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.836 SHP (1 SHP = 1.2 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Jamestown 9,760 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Jamestown

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 Jamestown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 1244%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $134 in Jamestown. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $90 in Jamestown. That makes Jamestown about 93% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 184% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jamestown, where all-in costs run around $90, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Jamestown it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen 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 $90 in Jamestown to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.