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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,290 in Saint Petersburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,017 in Saint Petersburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,745 in Saint Petersburg, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 1% 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 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.39 ₽680

26.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$50.1 ₽3,630

-14.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.85 ₽424

82.05%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.71 ₽196

27.31%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.12 ₽81.0

33.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.62 ₽44.61

53.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.20 ₽232

-5.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.78 ₽274

21.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.16 ₽84.4

18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.90 ₽65.0

105.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.57 ₽114

2.55%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.94 ₽141

33.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.00 ₽870

-31.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.26 ₽381

59.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.78 ₽781

-1.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.69 ₽123

55.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.84 ₽133

-19.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.93 ₽140

-0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$3.37 ₽244

-37.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.84 ₽60.8

121.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.65 ₽47.00

247.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.33 ₽96.6

-20.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.79 ₽57.1

37.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.01 ₽218

37.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.82 ₽712

5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.00 ₽72.6

72.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.03 ₽147

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.87 ₽62.8

-37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$53.3 ₽3,861

-49.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.87 ₽208

9.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.55 ₽39.92

356.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$7.71 ₽559

-59.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.79 ₽57.1

60.76%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$37.6K ₽2.7M

-19.32%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$37.8K ₽2.7M

-37.72%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$134 ₽9,706

-38.03%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$6.81 ₽493

233.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$7.22 ₽523

308.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.57 ₽2,722

35.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$22.96 ₽1,664

-20.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.68 ₽412

-13.20%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$404 ₽29.2K

-51.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$9,691 ₽702.2K

-45.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$101 ₽7,315

-63.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$55.0 ₽3,983

-27.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$117 ₽8,508

-31.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$133 ₽9,622

-32.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$804 ₽58.3K

18.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$463 ₽33.6K

2.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,404 ₽101.7K

17.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$887 ₽64.3K

38.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$4,923 ₽356.7K

-20.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$3,147 ₽228.0K

105.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,324 ₽95.9K

-49.61%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $804 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 98% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $50.0 in Saint Petersburg. Groceries tell a different story – $250 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 2%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,935 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,290 in Saint Petersburg. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 98% 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 $1,271, than in Saint Petersburg at $1,290. 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.