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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $798 in San Juan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,288 in San Juan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,777 in San Juan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 57% 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 6% lower, San Juan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.76 ₱170

334.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$8.65 ₱533

383.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$3.49 ₱215

208.02%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.91 ₱180

20.27%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.78 ₱47.94

85.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.45 ₱27.49

95.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.44 ₱88.8

104.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.05 ₱127

120.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.82 ₱112

-21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.57 ₱96.6

17.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.98 ₱60.7

60.20%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.05 ₱126

22.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$7.94 ₱490

4.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.05 ₱312

66.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.82 ₱667

-1.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.37 ₱146

10.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.51 ₱93.0

-4.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.09 ₱191

-36.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.15 ₱70.7

81.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.68 ₱103

10.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$3.57 ₱220

-39.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.11 ₱68.3

-7.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.87 ₱53.9

22.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.88 ₱178

42.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.65 ₱472

32.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.70 ₱43.01

140.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.63 ₱101

55.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.17 ₱10.70

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.72 ₱44.60

348.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.22 ₱13.56

995.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.16 ₱133

49.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.15 ₱71.0

14.78%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$28.2K ₱1.7M

5.23%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$17.7K ₱1.1M

33.70%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$129 ₱7,974

-36.57%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$33.17 ₱2,046

-30.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$26.36 ₱1,626

14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$70.7 ₱4,358

-26.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$4.40 ₱271

321.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$3.91 ₱241

27.37%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$145 ₱8,954

35.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,310 ₱265.8K

23.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$45.56 ₱2,810

-21.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$34.35 ₱2,119

17.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$68.1 ₱4,197

15.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$116 ₱7,171

-23.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$265 ₱16.3K

257.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$107 ₱6,616

341.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,297 ₱80.0K

26.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$398 ₱24.5K

204.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,653 ₱163.6K

52.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$917 ₱56.6K

605.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$240 ₱14.8K

172.27%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for San Juan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $265 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 172% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $9.00 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $216 – 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 57%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,198 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $798 in San Juan. 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 $145 in San Juan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan, where all-in costs run around $798, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.