Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Jose del Monte Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Jose del Monte

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $791 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,248 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,705 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 61% more than San Jose del Monte, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and San Jose del Monte are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, San Jose del Monte 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.50 ₱273

163.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$26.23 ₱1,593

63.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.50 ₱212

204.29%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.73 ₱166

26.37%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.81 ₱49.25

85.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.45 ₱27.34

111.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.48 ₱89.7

104.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.60 ₱158

77.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.90 ₱116

-27.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.40 ₱85.1

32.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.00 ₱60.6

61.00%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.07 ₱126

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.48 ₱575

-12.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.01 ₱304

67.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.63 ₱524

23.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.70 ₱42.44

275.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.80 ₱109

-17.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.55 ₱33.44

249.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.40 ₱85.0

49.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.19 ₱133

-15.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.40 ₱84.7

61.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.05 ₱63.7

0.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.65 ₱39.43

67.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.42 ₱208

21.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.97 ₱545

15.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.41 ₱85.6

21.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.22 ₱135

17.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.28 ₱17.13

92.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.83 ₱50.6

277.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.22 ₱13.29

1040.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.07 ₱126

52.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.11 ₱67.3

14.41%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$26.5K ₱1.6M

14.59%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$17.7K ₱1.1M

33.09%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$127 ₱7,698

-34.53%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$21.94 ₱1,332

3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$26.22 ₱1,592

12.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$34.40 ₱2,089

48.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$4.41 ₱268

315.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.61 ₱401

-25.42%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$154 ₱9,324

28.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,292 ₱260.6K

23.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$46.62 ₱2,831

-20.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$34.58 ₱2,100

15.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$68.3 ₱4,148

17.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$47.11 ₱2,861

89.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$266 ₱16.1K

259.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$177 ₱10.8K

169.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$592 ₱36.0K

177.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$400 ₱24.3K

206.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,402 ₱145.8K

63.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$970 ₱58.9K

565.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.17

85.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for San Jose del Monte: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $266 in San Jose del Monte. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $26.00 in San Jose del Monte. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $199 – making San Jose del Monte 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 San Jose del Monte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 61%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,187 in San Jose del Monte. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose del Monte, 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $791 in San Jose del Monte. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $154 in San Jose del Monte. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Jose del Monte, where all-in costs run around $791, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In San Jose del Monte 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 Jose del Monte – 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 Jose del Monte. 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.