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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $866 in San Luis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,408 in San Luis, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,950 in San Luis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 46% 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 5% lower, San Luis 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$10.94 ARS 16.2K

7.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$40.35 ARS 59.9K

3.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$9.41 ARS 14.0K

11.69%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.77 ARS 5,601

-4.77%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$2.36 ARS 3,498

-36.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.99 ARS 2,952

-53.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.59 ARS 2,355

86.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.92 ARS 4,332

51.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.34 ARS 1,988

4.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.53 ARS 2,274

22.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.06 ARS 3,052

-24.27%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.20 ARS 3,262

18.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$6.54 ARS 9,709

27.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.46 ARS 6,626

87.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$5.70 ARS 8,470

90.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.23 ARS 1,828

120.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.52 ARS 2,257

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.51 ARS 2,248

23.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.10 ARS 3,113

4.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.03 ARS 1,529

80.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.02 ARS 1,511

118.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.98 ARS 1,462

9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.52 ARS 770

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.53 ARS 3,762

65.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$4.07 ARS 6,038

156.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.98 ARS 2,942

-16.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.47 ARS 5,153

-24.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.57 ARS 847

-5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.45 ARS 667

584.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.03 ARS 1,525

133.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$4.84 ARS 7,182

-35.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.98 ARS 1,448

33.67%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$31.0K ARS 46.1M

-3.96%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$33.1K ARS 49.1M

-29.48%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$59.6 ARS 88.5K

36.42%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$10.96 ARS 16.3K

105.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$21.52 ARS 32.0K

39.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$26.14 ARS 38.8K

102.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$13.96 ARS 20.7K

31.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.53 ARS 8,206

-11.03%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$104 ARS 154.5K

93.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$2,124 ARS 3.2M

143.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$82.7 ARS 122.8K

-56.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$76.0 ARS 112.8K

-47.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$134 ARS 199.1K

-40.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$118 ARS 175.1K

-26.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$305 ARS 452.4K

221.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$172 ARS 255.6K

173.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$527 ARS 783.3K

213.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$304 ARS 450.8K

296.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$992 ARS 1.5M

298.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$593 ARS 880.3K

1014.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$494 ARS 733.1K

37.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-85.54%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for San Luis: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $305 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 37% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $40.00 in San Luis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $177 – making San Luis 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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 46%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,299 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $866 in San Luis. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $104 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 $866, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.