Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Ignacio

For one person, living is cheaper in San Ignacio: $982 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

San Ignacio

🇧🇿 Belize

$982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in San Ignacio

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 Ignacio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $982 in San Ignacio, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
San Ignacio $982

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,270 in San Ignacio, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
San Ignacio $1,270

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,558 in San Ignacio, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
San Ignacio $1,558

Playa del Carmen costs about 23% more than San Ignacio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Playa del Carmen and San Ignacio are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, San Ignacio 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$15.17 BZD 30.34

-28.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$44.66 BZD 89.3

-1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.03 BZD 2.05

30.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.97 BZD 1.95

-15.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$2.92 BZD 5.84

4.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$3.91 BZD 7.81

26.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$8.16 BZD 16.32

-81.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$2.56 BZD 5.11

-13.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$4.88 BZD 9.77

-48.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$15.12 BZD 30.25

-50.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$3.76 BZD 7.51

111.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$4.86 BZD 9.72

-42.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$2.92 BZD 5.85

-26.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.52 BZD 3.03

32.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.52 BZD 3.05

30.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.01 BZD 2.03

18.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.52 BZD 3.04

1.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$2.02 BZD 4.04

-73.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$70.4 BZD 141

21.27%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$150 BZD 300

-84.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$608 BZD 1,216

61.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$344 BZD 689

8.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$989 BZD 1,977

-25.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for San Ignacio: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

San Ignacio

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

San Ignacio

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

San Ignacio

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

San Ignacio

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

San Ignacio

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

San Ignacio

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

San Ignacio

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $608 in San Ignacio. 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 34% higher in San Ignacio, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in San Ignacio. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Playa del Carmen vs $257 in San Ignacio – so San Ignacio wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇿 San Ignacio

🕒 Local time

15:02 3:02 PM

14:02 2:02 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

17,878

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BZD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.25 BZD (1 BZD = 0.445 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Playa del Carmen San Ignacio 440 km

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Playa del Carmen
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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 Ignacio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,472 in San Ignacio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Ignacio, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen and $45.00 in San Ignacio. 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 San Ignacio, where all-in costs run around $982, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In San Ignacio 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 Ignacio – 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 Ignacio. 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.