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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,332 in San Juan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,095 in San Juan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,859 in San Juan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 3% cheaper than San Juan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and San Juan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, San Juan 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$7.42 TTD 50.4

60.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$59.5 TTD 404

-28.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$7.29 TTD 49.49

45.27%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$3.72 TTD 25.29

-2.69%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.10 TTD 7.46

33.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.71 TTD 4.80

32.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.88 TTD 12.75

64.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.99 TTD 20.32

49.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$2.64 TTD 17.95

-45.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$2.73 TTD 18.56

-31.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$2.59 TTD 17.58

-37.07%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$4.89 TTD 33.22

-46.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$8.16 TTD 55.4

0.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$10.49 TTD 71.2

-20.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$14.27 TTD 96.9

-22.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$5.75 TTD 39.05

-53.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$2.51 TTD 17.07

-40.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$4.25 TTD 28.84

-53.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$4.82 TTD 32.74

-56.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.49 TTD 10.13

20.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.64 TTD 11.14

32.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.95 TTD 13.21

-44.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.47 TTD 9.98

-29.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$6.08 TTD 41.30

-34.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$19.36 TTD 131

-47.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.19 TTD 14.85

-21.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.75 TTD 18.65

-9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.00 TTD 6.80

214.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.23 TTD 8.36

95.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$14.72 TTD 99.9

-79.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.09 TTD 7.41

16.51%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$33.4K TTD 226.5K

-7.44%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$38.2K TTD 259.2K

-38.92%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$79.8 TTD 542

2.76%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$46.97 TTD 319

-52.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$62.7 TTD 426

-52.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$9.97 TTD 67.7

-50.15%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$323 TTD 2,191

-38.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$7,306 TTD 49.6K

-27.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$59.0 TTD 401

-38.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$37.93 TTD 258

5.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$146 TTD 989

-45.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$129 TTD 876

-31.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$754 TTD 5,119

27.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$448 TTD 3,042

3.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$1,051 TTD 7,134

51.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$753 TTD 5,112

60.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.38

112.27%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for San Juan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $754 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $60.0 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $377 – making Playa del Carmen 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 – San Juan is pricier by about 4%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,998 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,332 in San Juan. 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 $323 in San Juan. 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 Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,287, than in San Juan at $1,332. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Juan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.