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 $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $772 in San Juan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,317 in San Juan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,863 in San Juan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 57% more 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 9% lower, San Juan 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$200

$10.49 TTD 70.6

4.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$816

$57.9 TTD 389

-22.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$217

$8.08 TTD 54.4

47.52%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.2

$3.64 TTD 24.48

4.40%

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

$1.31 MX$23.86

$1.20 TTD 8.04

9.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.58

$0.70 TTD 4.74

22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$58.4

$2.18 TTD 14.69

47.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$91.2

$2.90 TTD 19.54

72.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.53

$2.00 TTD 13.45

-27.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.33

$2.31 TTD 15.56

0.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.24

$2.86 TTD 19.28

-49.65%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.78

$3.76 TTD 25.31

-34.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$140

$6.50 TTD 43.71

18.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$144

$10.22 TTD 68.8

-22.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$233

$9.17 TTD 61.7

39.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.1

$5.61 TTD 37.73

-47.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.87

$2.49 TTD 16.77

-42.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.66

$3.61 TTD 24.29

-28.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$38.88

$4.39 TTD 29.51

-51.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.42

$0.76 TTD 5.10

156.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.22

$0.75 TTD 5.07

158.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$20.94

$1.45 TTD 9.76

-20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.21

$1.16 TTD 7.79

5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$79.6

$5.47 TTD 36.83

-19.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$179

$18.02 TTD 121

-45.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$27.97

$1.50 TTD 10.09

2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.40

$2.96 TTD 19.92

-8.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.55

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$89.4

$0.86 TTD 5.77

470.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.1

$0.90 TTD 6.06

291.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$103

$14.55 TTD 97.9

-60.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.01

$1.11 TTD 7.47

38.74%

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

$21.2K MX$386.3K

$36.4K TTD 245.1K

-41.68%

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

$24.5K MX$445.4K

$40.5K TTD 272.6K

-39.56%

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

$83.6 MX$1,521

$44.96 TTD 302

85.97%

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

$24.03 MX$437

$41.52 TTD 279

-42.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$534

$45.45 TTD 306

-35.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,180

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$536

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$92.5

$8.82 TTD 59.4

-42.29%

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

$208 MX$3,778

$404 TTD 2,719

-48.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.6K

$11.0K TTD 74.1K

-63.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$810

$55.6 TTD 374

-19.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$765

$36.30 TTD 244

15.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,374

$89.7 TTD 604

-15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,662

$89.9 TTD 605

1.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$17.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,007

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$113.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.75

99.13%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $58.0 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $320 – 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 – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 57%, 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 $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,158 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $772 in San Juan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $208 per month in Playa del Carmen and $404 in San Juan. 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 Juan, where all-in costs run around $772, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. 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.