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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,599 in San Pedro, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,690 in San Pedro, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,781 in San Pedro, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 21% cheaper than San Pedro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 7% below the global median, while San Pedro is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$9.62 BZD 19.24

20.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$30.01 BZD 60.0

56.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.06 BZD 6.12

30.07%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.39 BZD 2.79

2.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$1.52 BZD 3.04

-46.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.92 BZD 5.84

9.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.91 BZD 7.82

73.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$5.01 BZD 10.03

-66.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$2.45 BZD 4.90

-10.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$5.59 BZD 11.18

-69.41%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.86 BZD 3.73

47.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.72 BZD 23.44

-18.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$13.27 BZD 26.54

-32.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.57 BZD 21.14

21.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$14.16 BZD 28.32

-79.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.12 BZD 2.25

33.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$7.70 BZD 15.41

-70.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$6.43 BZD 12.85

-69.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$3.63 BZD 7.25

-45.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.29 BZD 2.57

-4.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$1.90 BZD 3.81

-36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$24.06 BZD 48.12

-56.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$3.82 BZD 7.64

-57.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$4.01 BZD 8.03

-28.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$5.10 BZD 10.21

-26.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.59 BZD 3.19

-3.14%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$175 BZD 351

-47.91%

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

$25.20 MX$434

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$29.65 BZD 59.3

126.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

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

$224 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$1,018 BZD 2,037

4.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$753 BZD 1,507

-48.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$2,759 BZD 5,519

-22.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$2,038 BZD 4,076

-37.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,645 BZD 5,290

51.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,604 BZD 3,209

305.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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 Pedro: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,018 in San Pedro. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in San Pedro. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $483 in San Pedro – so Playa del Carmen 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 Pedro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Pedro is pricier by about 26%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,399 in San Pedro. 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.

Groceries cost about 75% more in San Pedro, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $30.00 in San Pedro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in San Pedro at $1,599. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Pedro 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.

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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Pedro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.