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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $749 in San Juan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,110 in San Juan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,472 in San Juan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 69% more than San Juan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and San Juan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, San Juan 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.00 ₱251

190.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$16.40 ₱1,029

187.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$2.74 ₱172

333.58%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.23 ₱140

78.48%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.63 ₱39.24

126.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.31 ₱19.13

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.06 ₱66.2

200.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.55 ₱97.3

338.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.60 ₱100

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.15 ₱72.1

91.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.89 ₱56.1

92.13%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.74 ₱109

57.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$4.96 ₱311

93.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.47 ₱217

159.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.14 ₱448

79.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.30 ₱144

25.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.36 ₱85.4

10.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.35 ₱147

-8.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.04 ₱65.2

117.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.74 ₱109

13.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.71 ₱107

16.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.66 ₱41.36

86.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.89 ₱56.1

34.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.83 ₱177

60.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.53 ₱472

37.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$0.96 ₱59.9

68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.78 ₱112

61.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.24 ₱14.94

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$11.42 ₱716

152.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.77 ₱48.23

600.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.23 ₱14.45

1521.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.96 ₱123

194.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.14 ₱71.3

35.09%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

8.01%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

37.78%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$140 ₱8,754

-34.53%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$14.52 ₱911

73.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$24.57 ₱1,541

27.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$33.55 ₱2,104

100.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$5.02 ₱315

479.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.25 ₱329

-7.43%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$72.4 ₱4,540

208.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$2,458 ₱154.2K

72.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$28.28 ₱1,774

66.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$19.75 ₱1,238

124.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$71.7 ₱4,500

11.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$55.4 ₱3,475

67.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$268 ₱16.8K

295.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$169 ₱10.6K

130.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$504 ₱31.6K

326.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$300 ₱18.8K

324.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$2,930 ₱183.8K

36.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,061 ₱66.5K

513.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$242 ₱15.2K

213.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.75

69.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for San Juan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $268 in San Juan. 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 214% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $171 – making San Juan 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 Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 69%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,123 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan, 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $749 in San Juan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 152% less in San Juan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan, where all-in costs run around $749, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In San Juan 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 Juan – 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 Juan. 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.