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 $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,331 in Salto, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,944 in Salto, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,558 in Salto, rent included.

Playa del Carmen and Salto have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Playa del Carmen and Salto are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Salto 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$16.24 UYU 653

-19.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$37.59 UYU 1,512

23.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$11.85 UYU 476

6.24%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$3.23 UYU 130

23.84%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$2.21 UYU 89.0

-35.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$1.59 UYU 64.1

-49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$4.41 UYU 177

-30.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$3.02 UYU 121

125.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.45 UYU 58.1

17.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$2.07 UYU 83.4

7.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.51 UYU 60.6

13.91%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$5.11 UYU 205

-46.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$15.14 UYU 609

-38.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$8.48 UYU 341

4.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$10.10 UYU 406

26.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$1.27 UYU 51.0

146.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.19 UYU 88.2

-29.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.21 UYU 48.76

77.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.82 UYU 73.4

29.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.91 UYU 36.69

121.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.66 UYU 66.8

19.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.87 UYU 34.95

42.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$1.53 UYU 61.7

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$5.18 UYU 208

-10.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$7.67 UYU 308

36.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.84 UYU 74.0

-14.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.55 UYU 102

14.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.90 UYU 36.26

-37.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$37.55 UYU 1,510

-20.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.52 UYU 61.0

250.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$2.68 UYU 108

38.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$11.00 UYU 442

-47.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.88 UYU 75.8

-17.55%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$39.6K UYU 1.6M

-43.54%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$39.5K UYU 1.6M

-35.23%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$196 UYU 7,877

-54.42%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$21.26 UYU 855

9.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$29.51 UYU 1,186

7.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$36.61 UYU 1,472

87.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$12.56 UYU 505

134.08%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$9.73 UYU 391

-48.00%

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

$222 MX$3,765

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$4,548 UYU 182.9K

-5.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$86.6 UYU 3,481

-46.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$55.9 UYU 2,249

-20.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$116 UYU 4,647

-17.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$64.9 UYU 2,611

42.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$449 UYU 18.1K

137.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$293 UYU 11.8K

34.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$748 UYU 30.1K

165.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$428 UYU 17.2K

204.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$609 UYU 24.5K

22.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Salto: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $449 in Salto. 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 23% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Salto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $271 – 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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,997 in Salto. 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.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen and $38.00 in Salto. 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 $1,330, than in Salto at $1,331. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salto 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, Salto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.