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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $795 in Salto, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,240 in Salto, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,684 in Salto, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 59% more than Salto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Salto are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Salto 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.99 R$35.94

65.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$26.79 R$138

75.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.72 R$34.56

76.79%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.87 R$9.59

112.83%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.10 R$5.66

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.77 R$3.95

6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.62 R$13.46

21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.94 R$15.14

130.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.05 R$5.42

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.60 R$8.22

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.17 R$6.01

46.15%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.65 R$13.62

3.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.75 R$44.97

9.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.59 R$18.47

150.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.49 R$48.82

34.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.76 R$14.20

4.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.77 R$9.11

-15.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.82 R$9.34

18.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.82 R$9.36

24.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.34 R$6.87

47.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.33 R$6.83

49.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.93 R$4.77

32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.46 R$2.35

160.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.48 R$12.74

83.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.92 R$45.86

16.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.61 R$8.28

0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$4.48 R$23.03

-35.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.78 R$4.01

-23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.30 R$6.68

314.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.33 R$6.84

180.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$9.18 R$47.20

-37.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.11 R$5.69

38.74%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$22.9K R$117.8K

-1.55%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$33.6K R$173.0K

-22.54%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$39.09 R$201

133.77%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$9.53 R$48.98

164.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$18.22 R$93.7

71.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$25.65 R$132

161.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$2.84 R$14.63

71.13%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$256 R$1,318

-12.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$7,604 R$39.1K

-44.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$53.3 R$274

-11.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$57.4 R$295

-22.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$92.6 R$476

-13.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$83.1 R$427

11.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$236 R$1,211

65.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$584 R$3,004

267.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$395 R$2,030

222.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.12

2.97%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Salto: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 in Salto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $206 – making Salto 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 Salto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 59%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,192 in Salto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $795 in Salto. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $256 in Salto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Salto, where all-in costs run around $795, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Salto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salto – 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 Salto. 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.