Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Saint-Leu

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,502 in Saint-Leu, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Saint-Leu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Saint-Leu, Reunion
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Saint-Leu
🇷🇪 Reunion
$1,502
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,502 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Saint-Leu $1,502

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,353 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Saint-Leu $2,353

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,204 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Saint-Leu $3,204

Playa del Carmen is about 20% cheaper than Saint-Leu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Saint-Leu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$199
$27.82 €24.76
-61.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$815
$88.9 €79.1
-50.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.5
$2.87 €2.55
32.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.14
-
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.51
$1.10 €0.98
-24.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.6
$7.60 €6.77
-58.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.8
$5.49 €4.89
-10.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Saint-Leu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.15 €1.02
22.61%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.86
$1.24 €1.10
77.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.40
$2.22 €1.98
-33.78%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.46
$4.44 €3.95
-43.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$22.35 €19.89
-67.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.9
$3.41 €3.04
-14.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.74
$1.66 €1.47
-16.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.35
$2.18 €1.94
14.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.77
$3.28 €2.92
-38.11%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.68
$2.28 €2.03
-11.40%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.42
$2.29 €2.04
-17.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.30
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.05
$0.82 €0.73
51.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.5
$14.58 €12.98
-70.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$183
$5.60 €4.98
75.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.51
$1.67 €1.48
-4.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.1
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Saint-Leu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.58
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$510
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.6
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.5
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.44
$1.95 €1.74
-21.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.8K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.9K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Saint-Leu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,554
$95.9 €85.4
-12.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$10.02 €8.91
131.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$514
$33.31 €29.64
-17.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Saint-Leu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,050
$33.67 €29.96
67.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$525
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.1
$10.23 €9.10
-51.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Saint-Leu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,854
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.3K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Saint-Leu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$809
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$792
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,354
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,645
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Saint-Leu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$1,115 €992
-10.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,116
$788 €701
-51.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.2K
$2,049 €1,823
-18.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$1,353 €1,204
-20.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Saint-Leu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
$1,995 €1,775
-58.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
4
186.25%

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-Leu: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Saint-Leu
–
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Saint-Leu
–
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Saint-Leu
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Saint-Leu
–
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Saint-Leu
–
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Saint-Leu
–
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Saint-Leu
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,115 in Saint-Leu. 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-Leu are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $89 in Saint-Leu. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $211 in Saint-Leu – so Saint-Leu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇷🇪 Saint-Leu
🕒 Local time
21:46 9:46 PM
06:46 6:46 AM
9 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
34,893
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Saint-Leu 16,110 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Saint-Leu

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-Leu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Saint-Leu?
Yes – Saint-Leu is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,253 in Saint-Leu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,115 in Saint-Leu.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Saint-Leu?
Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Saint-Leu – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Saint-Leu?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen and $89 in Saint-Leu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Saint-Leu?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Saint-Leu at $1,502. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint-Leu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Saint-Leu?
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 $1,502 in Saint-Leu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint-Leu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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