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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $785 in Salto, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,258 in Salto, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,730 in Salto, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 60% more than Salto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Salto are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Salto 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.43 R$32.62

82.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$24.87 R$126

68.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.12 R$31.07

71.73%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.73 R$8.77

107.51%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.01 R$5.13

49.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.71 R$3.60

29.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.84 R$9.34

60.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.71 R$13.77

62.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.93 R$4.73

50.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.48 R$7.51

27.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.12 R$5.70

39.29%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.31 R$11.71

12.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.35 R$42.39

-0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.35 R$16.98

149.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.63 R$43.79

25.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.19 R$11.09

23.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.82 R$9.22

-17.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.41 R$7.14

32.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.60 R$8.12

36.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.30 R$6.60

43.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.09 R$5.51

104.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.76 R$3.85

40.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.43 R$2.18

153.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.41 R$12.22

73.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.54 R$43.31

22.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.37 R$6.95

21.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.39 R$17.21

-23.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.88 R$4.47

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$39.09 R$198

-33.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.88 R$4.46

250.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.06 R$5.39

126.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$8.64 R$43.82

-63.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.02 R$5.17

28.43%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$22.3K R$113.1K

33.76%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$29.2K R$148.2K

-20.12%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$36.23 R$184

124.34%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$9.24 R$46.88

144.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$17.66 R$89.6

70.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$22.43 R$114

135.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$21.89 R$111

-15.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$2.62 R$13.31

87.79%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$235 R$1,191

-14.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,969 R$35.4K

-25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$57.6 R$292

-37.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$51.3 R$260

-21.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$85.8 R$435

-7.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$70.9 R$360

21.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$318 R$1,615

207.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$217 R$1,101

116.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$588 R$2,983

180.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$422 R$2,140

185.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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 Salto: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $318 in Salto. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Salto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $186 – 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 60%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,178 in Salto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salto, 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 $785 in Salto. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Salto. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Salto, where all-in costs run around $785, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.