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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,026 in San Luis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,729 in San Luis, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,433 in San Luis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 23% more than San Luis, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and San Luis are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, San Luis 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$8.64 ARS 13.1K

34.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$49.14 ARS 74.3K

-4.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.23 ARS 12.5K

44.35%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.16 ARS 3,267

84.26%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$2.37 ARS 3,578

-39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.89 ARS 2,860

-56.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.43 ARS 3,670

31.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.77 ARS 4,181

145.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.34 ARS 2,027

25.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.94 ARS 2,935

13.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.06 ARS 1,599

61.32%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.96 ARS 4,472

-7.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$6.75 ARS 10.2K

41.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.59 ARS 6,941

96.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$5.39 ARS 8,150

137.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.27 ARS 1,920

127.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.16 ARS 3,271

-30.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.30 ARS 1,962

65.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$3.21 ARS 4,859

-29.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.02 ARS 1,539

94.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.50 ARS 2,265

32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$2.02 ARS 3,060

-39.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.54 ARS 824

122.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.82 ARS 4,260

61.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$4.14 ARS 6,262

150.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.71 ARS 2,584

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.93 ARS 4,429

-1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.59 ARS 891

1.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.62 ARS 944

769.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.03 ARS 1,554

262.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$4.99 ARS 7,550

15.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.22 ARS 1,844

26.23%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$26.7K ARS 40.3M

-15.41%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$33.5K ARS 50.7M

-22.28%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$49.38 ARS 74.7K

85.05%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$13.63 ARS 20.6K

84.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$23.53 ARS 35.6K

32.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$31.17 ARS 47.1K

115.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$34.24 ARS 51.8K

-14.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.33 ARS 8,063

-8.82%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$173 ARS 261.3K

29.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$4,159 ARS 6.3M

1.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$117 ARS 176.4K

-59.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$126 ARS 190.6K

-64.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$137 ARS 206.8K

-41.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$124 ARS 187.4K

-25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$481 ARS 726.8K

121.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$314 ARS 474.8K

24.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$942 ARS 1.4M

128.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$740 ARS 1.1M

72.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$502 ARS 759.2K

51.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-80.59%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for San Luis: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $481 in San Luis. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 51% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $49.00 in San Luis. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $192 in San Luis – so San Luis wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 23%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,539 in San Luis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Luis, 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,026 in San Luis. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $173 in San Luis. 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 San Luis, where all-in costs run around $1,026, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In San Luis 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 – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with San Luis. 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.