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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,090 in San Luis Rio Colorado, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,714 in San Luis Rio Colorado, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,339 in San Luis Rio Colorado, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% 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 5% lower, San Luis Rio Colorado 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$9.26 MX$162

28.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$31.12 MX$543

37.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$7.82 MX$137

36.19%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$2.69 MX$46.96

28.25%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$1.10 MX$19.27

36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.92 MX$16.02

3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$2.94 MX$51.3

3.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$4.96 MX$86.5

-7.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$1.64 MX$28.55

-15.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$2.48 MX$43.20

-25.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$1.74 MX$30.38

-7.47%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$3.20 MX$55.9

-19.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$7.70 MX$134

7.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$5.63 MX$98.3

48.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$10.43 MX$182

2.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$2.58 MX$45.11

1.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$1.54 MX$26.80

-3.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$1.84 MX$32.11

4.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$1.58 MX$27.66

32.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$1.62 MX$28.29

14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$1.87 MX$32.70

20.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$1.05 MX$18.33

0.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$0.98 MX$17.05

11.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$4.00 MX$69.8

3.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$8.48 MX$148

22.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$1.93 MX$33.62

-10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$3.35 MX$58.5

-22.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$0.62 MX$10.77

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$2.72 MX$47.52

15.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$1.59 MX$27.83

57.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$3.26 MX$57.0

-3.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$1.30 MX$22.77

-2.31%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$23.0K MX$402.2K

31.79%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$20.5K MX$357.0K

15.22%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$56.0 MX$978

48.19%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$27.73 MX$484

-18.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$31.21 MX$545

-5.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

$36.22 MX$632

40.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

$15.65 MX$273

17.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$4.44 MX$77.6

11.04%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$209 MX$3,650

-5.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$2,761 MX$48.2K

91.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$42.11 MX$735

-12.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$35.44 MX$619

12.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$86.6 MX$1,512

-7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$70.2 MX$1,226

27.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$501 MX$8,750

90.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

$404 MX$7,050

18.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

$950 MX$16.6K

73.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$749 MX$13.1K

63.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$1,979 MX$34.5K

97.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

$1,261 MX$22.0K

412.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for San Luis Rio Colorado: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $501 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $31.00 in San Luis Rio Colorado. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $239 – 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 17%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,635 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,090 in San Luis Rio Colorado. 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 $209 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 $1,090, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.