Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Luis Rio Colorado Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Luis Rio Colorado

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,063 in San Luis Rio Colorado, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,667 in San Luis Rio Colorado, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,271 in San Luis Rio Colorado, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 19% more than San Luis Rio Colorado, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and San Luis Rio Colorado are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, San Luis Rio Colorado 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$9.60 MX$166

21.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$31.65 MX$549

32.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$7.71 MX$134

34.89%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.68 MX$46.48

34.70%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.16 MX$20.12

26.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.90 MX$15.59

1.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.87 MX$49.71

5.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$4.98 MX$86.4

-10.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.58 MX$27.33

-12.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$2.49 MX$43.17

-26.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.79 MX$31.08

-10.06%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$3.13 MX$54.2

-17.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.38 MX$128

15.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$5.64 MX$97.8

50.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$10.49 MX$182

4.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.63 MX$45.55

3.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.48 MX$25.71

1.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.83 MX$31.73

7.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.57 MX$27.23

35.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.67 MX$28.97

11.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.79 MX$30.96

21.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.11 MX$19.23

-3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.97 MX$16.82

8.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$4.16 MX$72.1

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$8.67 MX$150

18.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.87 MX$32.44

-10.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$3.18 MX$55.2

-21.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.65 MX$11.26

-16.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$2.75 MX$47.63

12.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.54 MX$26.76

59.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$3.15 MX$54.6

2.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.26 MX$21.86

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$22.9K MX$396.9K

31.71%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$20.4K MX$354.3K

14.66%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$56.2 MX$973

49.58%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$27.28 MX$473

-18.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$31.26 MX$542

-5.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$36.56 MX$634

43.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$15.94 MX$276

15.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$4.47 MX$77.5

10.74%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$202 MX$3,504

-1.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$2,750 MX$47.7K

93.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$42.19 MX$731

-14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$34.91 MX$605

14.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$86.1 MX$1,492

-8.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$69.2 MX$1,199

25.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$503 MX$8,711

94.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$393 MX$6,815

19.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$926 MX$16.0K

72.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$769 MX$13.3K

57.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,928 MX$33.4K

109.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,189 MX$20.6K

453.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.8

-3.22%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for San Luis Rio Colorado: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $503 in San Luis Rio Colorado. 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 $42 in Playa del Carmen versus $32 in San Luis Rio Colorado. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $237 – making San Luis Rio Colorado 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 Luis Rio Colorado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 19%, 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 $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,595 in San Luis Rio Colorado. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Luis Rio Colorado, 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 $1,261 in Playa del Carmen and $1,063 in San Luis Rio Colorado. 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 $202 in San Luis Rio Colorado. 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 Luis Rio Colorado, where all-in costs run around $1,063, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In San Luis Rio Colorado 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 Luis Rio Colorado – 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 Luis Rio Colorado. 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.