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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,370 in San Juan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,131 in San Juan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,893 in San Juan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 7% cheaper than San Juan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 5% below the global median, while San Juan is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$7.47 TTD 50.5

58.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$60.0 TTD 405

-28.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.58 TTD 51.3

40.50%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.76 TTD 25.43

-8.24%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.09 TTD 7.39

37.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.78 TTD 5.25

21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.90 TTD 12.82

59.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.88 TTD 19.46

60.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.74 TTD 18.50

-49.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.70 TTD 18.26

-31.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.69 TTD 18.16

-40.15%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$4.99 TTD 33.75

-48.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.91 TTD 53.5

4.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$10.59 TTD 71.6

-20.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$14.54 TTD 98.3

-26.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$5.99 TTD 40.51

-56.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.60 TTD 17.59

-42.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$4.20 TTD 28.37

-54.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.80 TTD 32.49

-56.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.50 TTD 10.15

24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.66 TTD 11.22

36.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.96 TTD 13.28

-45.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.42 TTD 9.57

-23.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.00 TTD 40.57

-30.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$18.42 TTD 125

-43.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.21 TTD 14.92

-22.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.84 TTD 19.19

-8.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.05 TTD 7.12

198.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.27 TTD 8.57

97.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$14.67 TTD 99.2

-78.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.15 TTD 7.78

10.43%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$34.6K TTD 233.6K

-12.10%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$38.9K TTD 262.9K

-39.40%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$79.4 TTD 537

4.49%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$45.97 TTD 311

-50.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$62.1 TTD 420

-52.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$9.86 TTD 66.6

-50.00%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$323 TTD 2,181

-38.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,203 TTD 48.7K

-26.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$58.3 TTD 394

-36.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$37.72 TTD 255

5.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$147 TTD 992

-45.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$128 TTD 866

-30.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$741 TTD 5,012

28.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$446 TTD 3,013

7.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,033 TTD 6,985

59.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$751 TTD 5,075

63.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for San Juan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $741 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: $250 vs $378 – 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 8%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,055 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,370 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 $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 $1,271, than in San Juan at $1,370. 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.