Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Saint Petersburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Saint Petersburg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,292 in Saint Petersburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,043 in Saint Petersburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,794 in Saint Petersburg, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 2% cheaper than Saint Petersburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Saint Petersburg are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Saint Petersburg 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$9.41 ₽750

24.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$50.0 ₽3,991

-16.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$5.69 ₽454

84.71%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.62 ₽209

37.02%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$1.09 ₽86.7

38.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.57 ₽45.76

61.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$3.22 ₽257

-8.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$3.83 ₽305

15.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.16 ₽92.9

20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$0.91 ₽72.3

106.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.58 ₽126

-1.27%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.86 ₽149

40.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$12.09 ₽965

-31.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$5.29 ₽422

57.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$10.85 ₽866

0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.74 ₽139

55.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.79 ₽143

-15.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$2.00 ₽160

-6.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$3.54 ₽283

-38.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$0.83 ₽66.2

124.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$0.63 ₽50.5

253.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.36 ₽108

-21.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.78 ₽62.3

39.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$2.97 ₽237

41.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$9.03 ₽720

15.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.01 ₽80.6

64.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.05 ₽164

27.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.93 ₽74.5

-41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$52.9 ₽4,217

-50.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$2.74 ₽219

12.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.59 ₽46.67

306.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$7.61 ₽607

-58.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$0.73 ₽58.4

79.45%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$37.4K ₽3.0M

-20.23%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$37.2K ₽3.0M

-37.25%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$132 ₽10.5K

-38.33%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$6.67 ₽532

238.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$7.07 ₽564

325.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$36.62 ₽2,921

44.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$22.66 ₽1,807

-18.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$5.86 ₽467

-16.04%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$398 ₽31.7K

-49.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$9,616 ₽767.1K

-46.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$99.9 ₽7,967

-64.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$54.6 ₽4,352

-26.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$114 ₽9,056

-29.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$136 ₽10.9K

-36.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$785 ₽62.6K

24.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$475 ₽37.9K

-1.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$1,434 ₽114.4K

15.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$893 ₽71.2K

34.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$4,583 ₽365.6K

-13.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$2,954 ₽235.7K

123.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$1,206 ₽96.2K

-43.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

24.95

-54.23%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $785 in Saint Petersburg. 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 78% higher in Saint Petersburg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $50.0 in Saint Petersburg. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $221 in Saint Petersburg – so Saint Petersburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Petersburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint Petersburg is pricier by about 3%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,938 in Saint Petersburg. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,292 in Saint Petersburg. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 102% 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 $1,260, than in Saint Petersburg at $1,292. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Petersburg 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint Petersburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.