Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Andres Tuxtla Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Andres Tuxtla

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,092 in San Andres Tuxtla, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,740 in San Andres Tuxtla, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,388 in San Andres Tuxtla, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 15% more than San Andres Tuxtla, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and San Andres Tuxtla are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, San Andres Tuxtla 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$10.70 MX$186

9.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$39.25 MX$680

6.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$8.17 MX$142

27.29%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.35 MX$58.1

7.76%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.29 MX$22.38

13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.91 MX$15.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.34 MX$40.58

29.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$4.00 MX$69.4

11.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.48 MX$25.60

-6.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$2.64 MX$45.79

-30.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.63 MX$28.32

-1.23%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.37 MX$41.14

8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$8.23 MX$143

3.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.96 MX$138

6.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$10.51 MX$182

4.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.60 MX$45.08

5.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.46 MX$25.27

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.76 MX$30.51

11.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.58 MX$27.31

34.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.84 MX$31.86

1.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.99 MX$34.55

9.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.20 MX$20.71

-10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$1.01 MX$17.54

3.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$4.12 MX$71.4

1.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$12.00 MX$208

-14.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.60 MX$27.68

4.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.75 MX$47.73

-9.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.61 MX$10.64

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$2.64 MX$45.69

17.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.60 MX$27.77

53.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$8.21 MX$142

-60.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.30 MX$22.55

-3.08%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$21.1K MX$366.5K

42.64%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$22.8K MX$395.4K

2.76%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$57.1 MX$989

47.12%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$21.77 MX$377

2.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$28.47 MX$493

4.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$35.30 MX$612

49.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$15.70 MX$272

16.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$4.69 MX$81.2

5.54%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$210 MX$3,639

-5.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$3,663 MX$63.5K

45.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$53.9 MX$935

-33.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$39.16 MX$679

2.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$90.2 MX$1,564

-12.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$80.0 MX$1,387

8.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$511 MX$8,860

91.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$396 MX$6,854

19.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$924 MX$16.0K

72.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$766 MX$13.3K

58.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$2,043 MX$35.4K

97.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,426 MX$24.7K

361.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.48

-0.52%

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 San Andres Tuxtla: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $511 in San Andres Tuxtla. 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 $39 in San Andres Tuxtla. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $254 in San Andres Tuxtla – 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 San Andres Tuxtla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 15%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. 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 $1,638 in San Andres Tuxtla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Andres Tuxtla, 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 $1,092 in San Andres Tuxtla. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $210 in San Andres Tuxtla. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Andres Tuxtla, where all-in costs run around $1,092, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In San Andres Tuxtla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Andres Tuxtla – 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 San Andres Tuxtla. 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.