Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Saint Andrews

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,252 in Saint Andrews, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Saint Andrews
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Saint Andrews Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Saint Andrews

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,252

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Saint Andrews

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,252 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Saint Andrews $2,252

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,235 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Saint Andrews $3,235

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,219 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Saint Andrews $4,219

Playa del Carmen is about 47% cheaper than Saint Andrews, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Saint Andrews is 67% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$17.63 CA$24.71

-39.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$823

$64.6 CA$90.6

-32.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$221

$10.60 CA$14.86

11.23%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.1

$3.73 CA$5.23

1.61%

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

$1.30 MX$24.36

$1.98 CA$2.78

-34.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.65

$1.68 CA$2.36

-50.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.1

$5.27 CA$7.39

-40.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$5.68 CA$7.97

-13.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.46

$2.11 CA$2.95

-33.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.23

$2.54 CA$3.56

-13.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.66

$3.51 CA$4.93

-58.12%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.89

$3.45 CA$4.83

-27.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

$10.15 CA$14.23

-28.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

$11.58 CA$16.23

-31.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

$14.99 CA$21.01

-14.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.4

$3.80 CA$5.33

-23.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.98

$1.36 CA$1.91

1.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.78

$3.59 CA$5.03

-30.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.12

$3.77 CA$5.29

-46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.03

$2.42 CA$3.39

-16.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.74

$2.19 CA$3.07

-13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.49

$2.41 CA$3.38

-52.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.27

$1.59 CA$2.23

-22.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.2

$14.28 CA$20.02

-70.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$12.92 CA$18.11

-24.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.78

$2.74 CA$3.84

-41.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.6

$3.20 CA$4.48

-14.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.67

$2.35 CA$3.30

-78.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$514

$63.5 CA$88.9

-56.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.4

$2.91 CA$4.07

63.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.0

$1.49 CA$2.08

118.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$23.86 CA$33.44

-77.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.70

$1.18 CA$1.65

29.66%

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

$21.2K MX$398.4K

$28.1K CA$39.4K

-24.55%

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

$23.3K MX$436.9K

$21.1K CA$29.5K

10.37%

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

$83.5 MX$1,568

$137 CA$192

-39.12%

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

$23.19 MX$435

$38.16 CA$53.5

-39.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$519

$54.4 CA$76.3

-49.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,060

$37.52 CA$52.6

50.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

$18.30 CA$25.65

54.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.9

$10.80 CA$15.14

-53.70%

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

$207 MX$3,889

$648 CA$908

-68.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.2K

$13.3K CA$18.6K

-60.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$816

$55.6 CA$77.9

-21.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$799

$38.69 CA$54.2

9.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,367

$87.6 CA$123

-16.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,660

$105 CA$148

-16.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$1,289 CA$1,807

-22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,181

$1,126 CA$1,578

-66.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.4K

$1,970 CA$2,762

-15.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$1,678 CA$2,352

-35.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.4K

$4,296 CA$6,021

-9.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.3K

$3,614 CA$5,067

69.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.68

144.66%

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 Saint Andrews: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Saint Andrews

$1.1K 50% 195% $744

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Saint Andrews

$354 15.7% 37.6% $97

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Saint Andrews

$270 12% 34.8% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Saint Andrews

$230 10.2% 71.1% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Saint Andrews

$129 5.7% 16.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Saint Andrews

$59 2.6% 11% $7.3

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Saint Andrews

$83 3.7% 64.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,289 in Saint Andrews. 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 $65 in Saint Andrews. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $354 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Saint Andrews

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

10:28 10:28 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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 = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Saint Andrews 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Saint Andrews

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 Saint Andrews: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint Andrews is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,377 in Saint Andrews. 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 $1,289 in Saint Andrews.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $2,252 in Saint Andrews. That makes Playa del Carmen about 47% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Saint Andrews at $2,252. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Andrews it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 47% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.