Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sangre Grande Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sangre Grande

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $733 in Sangre Grande, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,190 in Sangre Grande, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,647 in Sangre Grande, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 73% more than Sangre Grande, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sangre Grande are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Sangre Grande 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$6.50 TTD 43.81

78.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$45.00 TTD 304

4.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.42 TTD 50.1

60.11%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.75 TTD 25.26

6.13%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.05 TTD 7.05

36.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.76 TTD 5.09

7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.81 TTD 12.19

76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.61 TTD 17.64

160.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$2.07 TTD 13.96

-18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$2.08 TTD 14.03

5.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.00 TTD 13.49

-14.50%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$3.92 TTD 26.43

-30.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$8.09 TTD 54.6

18.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.06 TTD 34.10

78.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$8.78 TTD 59.2

45.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.47 TTD 16.67

-39.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$5.00 TTD 33.75

-54.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.72 TTD 4.83

175.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.73 TTD 4.91

172.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.50 TTD 10.09

-18.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.20 TTD 8.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.85 TTD 25.97

18.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$17.92 TTD 121

-42.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.49 TTD 10.07

8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$3.12 TTD 21.07

-7.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$0.86 TTD 5.83

526.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.91 TTD 6.13

309.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$14.50 TTD 97.8

-60.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.02 TTD 6.88

50.98%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$51.7K TTD 348.6K

-56.38%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$60.1K TTD 405.1K

-56.62%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$44.72 TTD 302

104.34%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$42.76 TTD 288

-41.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$44.83 TTD 302

-30.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$45.07 TTD 304

49.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$8.62 TTD 58.2

-43.62%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$118 TTD 796

89.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$18.3K TTD 123.5K

-76.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$63.3 TTD 427

-25.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$37.00 TTD 250

19.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$88.3 TTD 595

-9.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$89.5 TTD 603

3.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

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 Sangre Grande: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Sangre Grande. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $254 – making Sangre Grande 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 Sangre Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 73%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. 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 $1,100 in Sangre Grande. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $733 in Sangre Grande. 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 $118 in Sangre Grande. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sangre Grande, where all-in costs run around $733, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Sangre Grande it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sangre Grande – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Sangre Grande. 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.