Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Saint Sampson

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,283 in Saint Sampson, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Saint Sampson outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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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

$1,215

/mo nomad

Saint Sampson

🇬🇬 Guernsey

$2,283

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,283 in Saint Sampson, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Saint Sampson $2,283

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,674 in Saint Sampson, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Saint Sampson $1,674

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,066 in Saint Sampson, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Saint Sampson $1,066

Playa del Carmen is about 47% cheaper than Saint Sampson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 9% below the global median, while Saint Sampson is 70% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$14.52 GGP 10.99

-24.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$78.4 GGP 59.3

-42.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$9.16 GGP 6.94

30.13%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$2.00 GGP 1.51

-34.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$1.29 GGP 0.97

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.63 GGP 1.24

-10.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$1.63 GGP 1.23

-68.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$39.46 GGP 29.87

-85.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$2.22 GGP 1.68

-30.63%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

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

$24.03 MX$441

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$90.9 GGP 68.8

-28.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

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

$208 MX$3,813

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$84.5 GGP 64.0

-10.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$1,958 GGP 1,482

-49.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$1,957 GGP 1,482

-80.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$2,898 GGP 2,194

-73.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Saint Sampson: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Saint Sampson

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Saint Sampson

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Saint Sampson

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Saint Sampson

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Saint Sampson

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Saint Sampson

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Saint Sampson

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,958 in Saint Sampson. 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 282% higher in Saint Sampson, 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $78.0 in Saint Sampson. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Playa del Carmen vs $16.00 in Saint Sampson – so Saint Sampson wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇬🇬 Saint Sampson

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

13:15 1:15 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

8,966

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Guernsey Pound GGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 GGP = 1.32 USD

1 GGP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GGP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Guernsey Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.757 GGP (1 GGP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GGP (1 GGP = 1.18 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Saint Sampson 7,890 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Saint Sampson

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 Sampson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint Sampson is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,424 in Saint Sampson. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1495% cheaper in Saint Sampson – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen and $78.0 in Saint Sampson. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Saint Sampson at $2,283. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Sampson 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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