Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Saint Helier

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,375 in Saint Helier, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
163

Cost of Living Index in Saint Helier
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Saint Helier Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Saint Helier

🇯🇪 Jersey

$3,375

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,375 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Saint Helier $3,375

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,992 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Saint Helier $4,992

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $6,608 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Saint Helier $6,608

Playa del Carmen is about 64% cheaper than Saint Helier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Saint Helier is 148% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$40.25 JEP 30.07

-72.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$122 JEP 90.8

-64.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$10.76 JEP 8.04

9.48%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$4.95 JEP 3.70

-23.03%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$3.34 JEP 2.50

-61.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$2.51 JEP 1.88

-68.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$8.08 JEP 6.04

-60.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$6.29 JEP 4.70

-21.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$2.30 JEP 1.72

-38.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$2.82 JEP 2.11

-21.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$3.83 JEP 2.86

-62.92%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$6.16 JEP 4.60

-59.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$7.24 JEP 5.41

0.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$11.94 JEP 8.92

-35.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$18.58 JEP 13.88

-31.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$4.20 JEP 3.14

-33.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$3.54 JEP 2.65

-61.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$4.13 JEP 3.08

-38.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$4.46 JEP 3.33

-52.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$3.24 JEP 2.42

-40.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$3.14 JEP 2.35

-39.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$1.91 JEP 1.43

-39.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$2.57 JEP 1.92

-54.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$19.77 JEP 14.77

-78.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$10.79 JEP 8.06

-7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$4.54 JEP 3.39

-65.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$7.87 JEP 5.88

-66.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$3.39 JEP 2.53

-83.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$69.7 JEP 52.0

-61.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$5.39 JEP 4.03

-7.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$2.42 JEP 1.81

37.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$52.5 JEP 39.22

-89.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$2.12 JEP 1.59

-32.08%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$26.4K JEP 19.7K

-21.82%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$37.2K JEP 27.8K

-36.88%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$318 JEP 237

-73.31%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$44.74 JEP 33.42

-47.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$74.6 JEP 55.7

-61.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$76.7 JEP 57.3

-25.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$28.22 JEP 21.08

2.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$19.74 JEP 14.74

-73.96%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$2,272 JEP 1,697

-90.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$12.0K JEP 8,980

-67.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$105 JEP 78.3

-58.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$72.1 JEP 53.9

-42.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$119 JEP 89.0

-37.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$207 JEP 155

-56.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$1,873 JEP 1,399

-47.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$1,581 JEP 1,181

-75.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$3,115 JEP 2,327

-45.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$2,550 JEP 1,905

-57.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$11.7K JEP 8,752

-66.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$10.5K JEP 7,827

-41.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$4,623 JEP 3,453

-84.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.08

180.64%

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 Saint Helier: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Saint Helier

$1.6K 46.8% 315% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Saint Helier

$424 12.6% 66.4% $169

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Saint Helier

$490 14.5% 142% $288

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Saint Helier

$437 13% 219% $300

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Saint Helier

$227 6.7% 103% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Saint Helier

$116 3.4% 72.6% $49

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Saint Helier

$101 3% 99.6% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,873 in Saint Helier. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Saint Helier are about 6.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $122 in Saint Helier. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $424 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇯🇪 Saint Helier

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

14:55 2:55 PM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

32,522 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Jersey Pound JEP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 JEP = 1.34 USD

1 JEP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JEP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Jersey Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 JEP (1 JEP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 JEP (1 JEP = 1.2 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Saint Helier 7,930 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Saint Helier

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 Helier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint Helier is pricier by about 180%, 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 $5,063 in Saint Helier. 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 $980 there versus $1,873 in Saint Helier.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $3,375 in Saint Helier. That makes Playa del Carmen about 64% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 62% 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 $1,204, than in Saint Helier at $3,375. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Helier 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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint Helier makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.