Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Saint John's

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,802 in Saint John’s, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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

$1,204

/mo nomad

Saint John's

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

$1,802

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,802 in Saint John’s, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Saint John's $1,802

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,835 in Saint John’s, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Saint John's $2,835

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,867 in Saint John’s, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Saint John's $3,867

Playa del Carmen is about 33% cheaper than Saint John’s, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Saint John’s is 32% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$16.92 EC$45.68

-35.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$805

$56.5 EC$152

-23.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$9.19 EC$24.81

28.18%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$70.7

$3.62 EC$9.77

5.25%

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

$1.28 MX$23.81

$2.01 EC$5.42

-36.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.54

$1.18 EC$3.19

-33.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$58.8

$2.38 EC$6.44

33.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.7

$4.46 EC$12.05

10.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.12

$2.17 EC$5.86

-35.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.17

$2.73 EC$7.37

-18.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.32

$1.82 EC$4.90

-21.98%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$46.85

$6.73 EC$18.16

-62.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$8.74 EC$23.61

-16.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$7.62 EC$20.59

1.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$12.01 EC$32.43

5.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.7

$6.64 EC$17.92

-58.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.41

$2.51 EC$6.79

-45.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.37

$8.33 EC$22.49

-69.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.43

$8.01 EC$21.63

-73.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.00

$2.81 EC$7.58

-30.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.02

$2.90 EC$7.82

-34.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.29

$2.54 EC$6.86

-54.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.89

$1.53 EC$4.12

-22.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$79.8

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$5.39 EC$14.55

84.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.41

$1.93 EC$5.20

-18.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.60

$3.34 EC$9.03

-20.06%

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

$1.57 EC$4.25

-8.28%

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

$257 EC$693

-66.99%

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

$23.41 MX$435

$40.33 EC$109

-41.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$532

$80.2 EC$216

-64.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,059

$63.6 EC$172

-10.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$537

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.4

$6.34 EC$17.11

-18.93%

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

$207 MX$3,836

$187 EC$506

10.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$72.9K

$1,860 EC$5,023

111.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$805

$49.10 EC$133

-11.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$770

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,378

$74.8 EC$202

-0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,657

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$1,052 EC$2,839

-6.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,072

$678 EC$1,830

-43.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.7K

$1,648 EC$4,448

3.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$1,503 EC$4,057

-28.45%

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

$1,383 EC$3,734

-46.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.5

108.18%

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 John's: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Saint John's

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Saint John's

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Saint John's

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Saint John's

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Saint John's

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Saint John's

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Saint John's

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,052 in Saint John’s. 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 88% higher in Saint John’s. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $56 in Saint John’s. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $375 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇦🇬 Saint John's

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

05:00 5:00 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

21,926 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, 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 = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.02 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Saint John's 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Saint John's

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 John's: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint John’s is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,703 in Saint John’s. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,052 in Saint John’s. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,802 in Saint John’s. That makes Playa del Carmen about 33% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $187 in Saint John’s. 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 $1,204, than in Saint John’s at $1,802. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John’s it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $1,802 in Saint John’s. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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