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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $876 in Saint-Louis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,385 in Saint-Louis, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,895 in Saint-Louis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 48% more than Saint-Louis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Saint-Louis are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Saint-Louis 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$3.48 F CFA 1,962

236.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$55.7 F CFA 31.4K

-16.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$11.74 F CFA 6,615

-0.77%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$3.44 F CFA 1,940

18.90%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.25 F CFA 704

9.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.87 F CFA 493

-4.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.83 F CFA 1,033

83.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$4.40 F CFA 2,478

57.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$2.78 F CFA 1,568

-37.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$0.28 F CFA 158

707.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$1.74 F CFA 978

1.72%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$2.60 F CFA 1,465

5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$17.34 F CFA 9,775

-47.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$9.58 F CFA 5,397

-6.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$11.41 F CFA 6,432

10.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$3.26 F CFA 1,835

-7.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.91 F CFA 1,078

-17.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$2.99 F CFA 1,684

-28.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$1.80 F CFA 1,017

25.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$1.38 F CFA 778

44.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$1.05 F CFA 592

96.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.19 F CFA 670

-0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.73 F CFA 413

64.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$2.28 F CFA 1,284

103.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$17.65 F CFA 9,947

-39.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.61 F CFA 905

0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$3.40 F CFA 1,918

-15.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$0.93 F CFA 526

486.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$2.18 F CFA 1,226

69.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$17.55 F CFA 9,891

-65.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.68 F CFA 945

-7.74%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$52.0K F CFA 29.3M

-57.02%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$50.4K F CFA 28.4M

-48.56%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$209 F CFA 117.6K

-57.30%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$11.91 F CFA 6,712

110.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$48.07 F CFA 27.1K

-34.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$8.99 F CFA 5,066

-43.83%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$316 F CFA 178.2K

-28.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$10.8K F CFA 6.1M

-60.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$60.4 F CFA 34.0K

-21.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$48.08 F CFA 27.1K

-6.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$88.9 F CFA 50.1K

-7.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$101 F CFA 56.7K

-8.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$450 F CFA 253.5K

137.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.75

30.86%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Saint-Louis: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $450 in Saint-Louis. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $56.0 in Saint-Louis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $301 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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-Louis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 48%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,313 in Saint-Louis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint-Louis, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $876 in Saint-Louis. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $316 in Saint-Louis. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint-Louis, where all-in costs run around $876, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Saint-Louis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saint-Louis – 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 Saint-Louis. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.