Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Cristobal de las Casas

For one person, living is cheaper in San Cristobal de las Casas: $897 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in San Cristobal de las Casas
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San Cristobal de las Casas Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

San Cristobal de las Casas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in San Cristobal de las Casas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in San Cristobal de las Casas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $897 in San Cristobal de las Casas, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
San Cristobal de las Casas $897

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,399 in San Cristobal de las Casas, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
San Cristobal de las Casas $1,399

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,900 in San Cristobal de las Casas, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
San Cristobal de las Casas $1,900

Playa del Carmen costs about 34% more than San Cristobal de las Casas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and San Cristobal de las Casas are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, San Cristobal de las Casas 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$5.30 MX$98.8

106.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$27.46 MX$512

57.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$5.84 MX$109

101.71%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$2.56 MX$47.69

48.83%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$1.59 MX$29.70

-19.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.98 MX$18.32

-20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$2.72 MX$50.7

16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$3.22 MX$60.0

53.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.45 MX$26.99

-2.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$3.45 MX$64.4

-35.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.50 MX$28.04

-5.33%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$2.23 MX$41.51

13.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$6.39 MX$119

13.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$4.19 MX$78.2

83.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$6.14 MX$115

106.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.28 MX$61.2

-15.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$2.04 MX$38.03

-32.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$2.14 MX$39.84

19.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.41 MX$26.30

50.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.64 MX$30.63

18.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$1.78 MX$33.19

6.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.80 MX$33.49

-36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$1.53 MX$28.49

-22.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$1.83 MX$34.19

134.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$10.26 MX$191

-3.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$2.39 MX$44.56

-33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.85 MX$34.51

44.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.56 MX$10.42

-1.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$26.64 MX$497

-0.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$2.71 MX$50.4

83.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$2.72 MX$50.7

22.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.35 MX$25.20

6.67%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$18.7K MX$349.3K

10.28%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$31.80 MX$593

166.64%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$14.22 MX$265

64.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$19.82 MX$370

44.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$22.13 MX$413

157.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$22.94 MX$428

26.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$6.92 MX$129

-25.72%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$198 MX$3,698

4.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$2,631 MX$49.1K

49.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$18.93 MX$353

129.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$27.46 MX$512

50.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$96.0 MX$1,789

-22.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$54.0 MX$1,007

65.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$424 MX$7,899

131.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$304 MX$5,670

25.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$847 MX$15.8K

101.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$534 MX$9,945

101.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$799 MX$14.9K

393.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$658 MX$12.3K

835.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$403 MX$7,516

82.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.8

16.84%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Cristobal de las Casas: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$304 33.9% 20.1% $77

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$237 26.4% 7% $18

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$121 13.5% 40.2% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$66 7.3% 51.9% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$88 9.9% 20.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$36 4% 46.6% $31

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$45 5% 10.4% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $424 in San Cristobal de las Casas. 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 82% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $27 in San Cristobal de las Casas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $237 – making San Cristobal de las Casas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 San Cristobal de las Casas

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

11:00 11:00 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

183,509

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen San Cristobal de las Casas 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
San Cristobal de las Casas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Cristobal de las Casas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,346 in San Cristobal de las Casas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Cristobal de las Casas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $424 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $897 in San Cristobal de las Casas. That’s a gap of about 34%.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $198 in San Cristobal de las Casas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $897 in San Cristobal de las Casas. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward San Cristobal de las Casas – 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 San Cristobal de las Casas. 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.