Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Salvador

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,629 in San Salvador, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Salvador outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in San Salvador
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San Salvador Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in San Salvador

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in San Salvador actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,629 in San Salvador, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
San Salvador $1,629

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,449 in San Salvador, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
San Salvador $2,449

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,269 in San Salvador, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
San Salvador $3,269

Playa del Carmen is about 26% cheaper than San Salvador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while San Salvador is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$6.58 $6.58

65.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$810

$44.57 $44.57

-2.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$7.06 $7.06

66.86%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.2

$3.62 $3.62

5.25%

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

$1.28 MX$23.96

$1.13 $1.13

13.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.63

$0.79 $0.79

-1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.2

$1.97 $1.97

60.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.2

$3.50 $3.50

40.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.28

$1.79 $1.79

-21.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.43

$2.91 $2.91

-23.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.48

$1.37 $1.37

3.65%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.14

$2.99 $2.99

-15.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$7.81 $7.81

-7.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$6.92 $6.92

11.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$10.07 $10.07

26.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.0

$4.93 $4.93

-43.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.56

$1.42 $1.42

-3.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.66

$2.54 $2.54

0.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.67

$3.54 $3.54

-40.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.22

$2.98 $2.98

-34.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.24

$3.26 $3.26

-42.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.42

$0.95 $0.95

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.03

$0.93 $0.93

26.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.3

$4.05 $4.05

6.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$11.77 $11.77

-15.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.59

$2.28 $2.28

-30.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.91

$2.92 $2.92

-8.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.34

$0.31 $0.31

77.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$497

$14.77 $14.77

80.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.9

$5.97 $5.97

-16.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.2

$3.04 $3.04

9.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$19.88 $19.88

-73.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.98

$1.25 $1.25

15.20%

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

$20.7K MX$386.2K

$25.5K $25.5K

-18.85%

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

$23.5K MX$438.5K

$26.7K $26.7K

-12.18%

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

$84.8 MX$1,584

$129 $129

-34.19%

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

$23.41 MX$437

$20.87 $20.87

12.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$535

$42.10 $42.10

-31.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,066

$29.34 $29.34

94.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$540

$21.36 $21.36

35.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.0

$5.13 $5.13

0.19%

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

$207 MX$3,860

$161 $161

28.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.4K

$4,729 $4,729

-16.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$810

$66.4 $66.4

-34.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$774

$47.50 $47.50

-12.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,386

$120 $120

-38.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,668

$117 $117

-23.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$893 $893

9.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,116

$776 $776

-50.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.9K

$1,792 $1,792

-4.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$1,366 $1,366

-21.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.7K

$2,817 $2,817

39.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.1K

$1,839 $1,839

234.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$376 $376

95.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.5

34.71%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Salvador: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

San Salvador

$776 47.7% 104% $395

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

San Salvador

$285 17.5% 11.8% $30

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

San Salvador

$142 8.7% 29.9% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

San Salvador

$192 11.8% 40.2% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

San Salvador

$158 9.7% 41.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

San Salvador

$40 2.4% 41.2% $28

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

San Salvador

$37 2.3% 26.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $893 in San Salvador. 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 95% higher in Playa del Carmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $45 in San Salvador. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $285 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

05:09 5:09 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

316,090 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen San Salvador 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
San Salvador

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Salvador is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,444 in San Salvador. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $893 in San Salvador. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,629 in San Salvador. That’s a gap of about 35%.

Public transport costs about 45% less in San Salvador. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in San Salvador at $1,629. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Salvador it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,629 in San Salvador. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.