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 $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,262 in Salto, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,891 in Salto, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,521 in Salto, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 3% more than Salto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Salto are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Salto 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$19.80 UYU 798

-40.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$39.49 UYU 1,592

5.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$9.18 UYU 370

13.40%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$3.13 UYU 126

15.34%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$2.33 UYU 93.8

-37.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$1.51 UYU 60.9

-35.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$4.35 UYU 176

-32.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$3.15 UYU 127

46.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$0.96 UYU 38.79

48.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.24 UYU 49.86

53.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.45 UYU 58.3

8.28%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$3.34 UYU 135

-20.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$19.36 UYU 781

-56.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$7.44 UYU 300

15.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$9.99 UYU 403

10.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.02 UYU 40.98

87.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.45 UYU 58.5

49.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.49 UYU 19.66

120.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.25 UYU 50.6

-14.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$5.09 UYU 205

-18.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$7.23 UYU 291

42.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.79 UYU 72.3

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.15 UYU 86.5

17.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$1.20 UYU 48.42

-54.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$44.61 UYU 1,799

-41.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$1.43 UYU 57.6

123.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.51 UYU 60.8

62.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$11.05 UYU 446

-71.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.90 UYU 76.5

-30.53%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$39.2K UYU 1.6M

-23.09%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$38.5K UYU 1.6M

-39.23%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$186 UYU 7,483

-56.17%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$19.80 UYU 798

13.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$34.57 UYU 1,394

-13.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$31.98 UYU 1,290

61.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$9.76 UYU 394

-47.13%

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

$202 MX$3,471

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$66.2 UYU 2,670

-46.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$62.2 UYU 2,508

-35.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$111 UYU 4,496

-29.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$67.7 UYU 2,731

28.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$433 UYU 17.5K

119.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$279 UYU 11.2K

71.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$753 UYU 30.3K

115.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$474 UYU 19.1K

158.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$612 UYU 24.7K

9.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Salto: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $433 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 10% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Salto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $222 – 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 3%, 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 $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,893 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 $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $1,262 in Salto. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $39.00 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 Salto, where all-in costs run around $1,262, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. 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.

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 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.