Comparación del coste de vida entre Playa del Carmen y San Pedro Comparación del coste de vida entre Playa del Carmen y San Pedro

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,606 in San Pedro, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,402 in San Pedro, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,199 in San Pedro, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 20% cheaper than San Pedro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 4% below the global median, while San Pedro is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
San Pedro
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.94 MX$209
$10.75 ₡4,889
11.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.75 MX$748
$59.5 ₡27.0K
-28.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 MX$185
$9.97 ₡4,536
6.22%
Cappuccino
$3.62 MX$63.4
$3.73 ₡1,696
-2.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 MX$25.69
$2.03 ₡924
-27.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 MX$16.51
$1.65 ₡751
-43.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.09 MX$54.1
$2.91 ₡1,324
6.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46 MX$78.0
$4.63 ₡2,107
-3.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
San Pedro
Diferencia
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 MX$24.94
$1.96 ₡890
-27.04%
White Bread (500g)
$1.88 MX$32.97
$2.79 ₡1,269
-32.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 MX$28.50
$2.23 ₡1,016
-26.91%
Eggs
$2.64 MX$46.26
$3.00 ₡1,363
-12.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.21 MX$144
$10.21 ₡4,644
-19.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.29 MX$145
$8.99 ₡4,089
-7.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.10 MX$194
$13.47 ₡6,125
-17.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.65 MX$46.40
$4.37 ₡1,987
-39.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$26.26
$1.44 ₡653
4.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$34.79
$4.30 ₡1,958
-53.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 MX$36.33
$3.56 ₡1,617
-41.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 MX$31.29
$3.44 ₡1,563
-47.97%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 MX$38.09
$3.08 ₡1,402
-29.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 MX$18.84
$1.02 ₡465
5.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 MX$18.15
$2.92 ₡1,326
-64.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.97 MX$69.5
$5.14 ₡2,339
-22.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.20 MX$179
$22.20 ₡10.1K
-54.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 MX$30.22
$2.45 ₡1,115
-29.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 MX$43.71
$2.81 ₡1,279
-11.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
San Pedro
Diferencia
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 MX$9.07
$0.95 ₡431
-45.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.97 MX$472
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.14 MX$55.0
$1.86 ₡844
68.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.40 MX$42.04
$1.80 ₡819
33.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.09 MX$54.0
$8.06 ₡3,667
-61.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 MX$22.28
$1.46 ₡662
-13.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K MX$540.4K
$37.1K ₡16.9M
-16.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$408.0K
$32.4K ₡14.7M
-28.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
San Pedro
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.0 MX$1,435
$94.8 ₡43.1K
-13.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.45 MX$393
$26.30 ₡12.0K
-14.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.66 MX$519
$59.0 ₡26.8K
-49.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
San Pedro
Diferencia
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.9 MX$908
$56.0 ₡25.5K
-7.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.67 MX$327
$23.51 ₡10.7K
-20.59%
Cinema Ticket
$4.97 MX$87.0
$10.23 ₡4,651
-51.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
San Pedro
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$198 MX$3,462
$576 ₡261.8K
-65.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,273 MX$92.3K
$12.8K ₡5.8M
-58.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
San Pedro
Diferencia
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.34 MX$636
$62.4 ₡28.4K
-41.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.05 MX$701
$51.0 ₡23.2K
-21.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 MX$1,398
$127 ₡57.6K
-36.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.9 MX$1,555
$110 ₡49.8K
-18.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
San Pedro
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$963 MX$16.9K
$759 ₡345.3K
26.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$465 MX$8,133
$603 ₡274.4K
-22.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,596 MX$27.9K
$1,491 ₡677.8K
7.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,209 MX$21.2K
$971 ₡441.3K
24.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,942 MX$69.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,448 MX$112.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
San Pedro
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$720 MX$12.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.42
10.17
12.29%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Última actualización para San Pedro: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $759 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $59.0 in San Pedro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $368 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Playa del Carmen vs San Pedro: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is San Pedro cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – San Pedro is pricier by about 25%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,409 in San Pedro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen vs San Pedro?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,606 in San Pedro. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $576 in San Pedro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Playa del Carmen or San Pedro?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,287, than in San Pedro at $1,606. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Pedro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or San Pedro more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
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.

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