Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Saintes Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Saintes

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,743 in Saintes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,581 in Saintes, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,420 in Saintes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 28% cheaper than Saintes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Saintes is 30% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$17.66 €15.07

-33.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$29.15 €24.87

43.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$9.38 €8.00

10.87%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.49 €2.98

3.44%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$2.53 €2.16

-41.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$1.49 €1.27

-38.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$4.72 €4.03

-35.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$5.19 €4.43

-13.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.09 €0.93

26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$4.16 €3.54

-55.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$3.53 €3.01

-54.39%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.27 €1.94

13.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$22.70 €19.36

-62.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$13.39 €11.42

-36.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$20.94 €17.86

-47.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$3.04 €2.59

-10.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$2.06 €1.75

-27.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$2.08 €1.78

-5.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$3.17 €2.70

-33.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$0.84 €0.72

121.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.81 €1.55

19.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.62 €1.38

-33.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.56 €0.48

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$12.80 €10.92

-67.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$8.68 €7.41

18.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$2.70 €2.30

-38.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$3.21 €2.74

-22.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.95 €1.67

-72.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$49.52 €42.24

-46.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$5.73 €4.89

-45.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$2.52 €2.15

-2.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$36.99 €31.55

-91.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$2.01 €1.72

-37.31%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$37.8K €32.3K

-20.22%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$39.6K €33.7K

-40.73%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$184 €157

-54.35%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$11.43 €9.75

94.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$27.26 €23.25

8.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$38.31 €32.68

37.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$18.21 €15.54

0.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$10.50 €8.95

-52.86%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$785 €670

-74.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$8,631 €7,362

-38.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$46.54 €39.70

-22.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$35.67 €30.42

12.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$68.8 €58.7

14.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$114 €96.9

-23.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$764 €652

27.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$625 €533

-24.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$1,384 €1,181

15.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$1,081 €923

12.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$4,198 €3,581

-3.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$3,389 €2,891

94.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.62

215.47%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Saintes: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $764 in Saintes. 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 $42 in Playa del Carmen versus $29 in Saintes. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $382 in Saintes – so Playa del Carmen 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 Saintes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saintes is pricier by about 38%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,614 in Saintes. 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 $1,261 in Playa del Carmen and $1,743 in Saintes. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 89% 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 $1,261, than in Saintes at $1,743. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saintes 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, Saintes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.