Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Felipe Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Felipe

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,079 in San Felipe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,727 in San Felipe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,374 in San Felipe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% more than San Felipe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and San Felipe are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, San Felipe 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$7.12 MX$123

63.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$39.54 MX$685

5.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$7.71 MX$134

34.89%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.24 MX$56.1

11.42%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.24 MX$21.48

18.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.97 MX$16.84

-6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.43 MX$42.18

24.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$3.82 MX$66.2

17.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.49 MX$25.82

-7.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$2.61 MX$45.24

-29.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.62 MX$28.09

-0.62%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.42 MX$41.86

6.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$8.12 MX$141

4.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.96 MX$138

6.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$10.71 MX$186

2.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.59 MX$44.92

5.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.45 MX$25.17

3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.73 MX$29.92

13.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.63 MX$28.28

30.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.90 MX$32.99

-2.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$2.00 MX$34.73

8.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.26 MX$21.79

-15.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$1.01 MX$17.51

3.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$4.27 MX$74.0

-1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$12.60 MX$218

-18.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.62 MX$28.06

3.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.76 MX$47.90

-9.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.65 MX$11.35

-16.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$2.55 MX$44.14

21.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.56 MX$27.00

57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$8.50 MX$147

-61.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.26 MX$21.79

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$21.2K MX$366.9K

42.48%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$22.6K MX$390.9K

3.94%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$56.4 MX$977

48.97%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$22.12 MX$383

0.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$27.87 MX$483

6.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$35.27 MX$611

49.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$16.09 MX$279

13.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$4.55 MX$78.9

8.79%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$208 MX$3,598

-4.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$3,597 MX$62.3K

47.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$52.3 MX$905

-31.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$40.16 MX$696

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$91.4 MX$1,584

-13.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$79.6 MX$1,380

8.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$514 MX$8,916

89.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$392 MX$6,800

19.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$915 MX$15.9K

74.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$750 MX$13.0K

62.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$2,145 MX$37.2K

87.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,190 MX$20.6K

452.83%

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 Felipe: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $514 in San Felipe. 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 $40 in San Felipe. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $256 in San Felipe – 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 Felipe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 17%, 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 $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,619 in San Felipe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Felipe, 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 $1,079 in San Felipe. 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 $208 in San Felipe. 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 Felipe, where all-in costs run around $1,079, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In San Felipe 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 Felipe – 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 Felipe. 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.