Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santa Clara de Valladares Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santa Clara de Valladares

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,009 in Santa Clara de Valladares, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,561 in Santa Clara de Valladares, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,112 in Santa Clara de Valladares, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 29% more than Santa Clara de Valladares, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santa Clara de Valladares are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Santa Clara de Valladares 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$5.34 MX$93.3

119.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$18.68 MX$326

122.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$7.90 MX$138

34.68%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$1.84 MX$32.06

91.30%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$0.61 MX$10.64

147.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.33 MX$5.81

193.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$2.16 MX$37.74

36.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$3.92 MX$68.4

13.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.08 MX$18.88

27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$2.54 MX$44.41

-25.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$1.35 MX$23.66

21.48%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$1.62 MX$28.36

54.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$8.43 MX$147

-1.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$4.30 MX$75.2

93.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$8.16 MX$143

31.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.48

$3.66 MX$64.0

-28.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.45 MX$25.34

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.87 MX$32.67

1.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$1.78 MX$31.00

16.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$1.72 MX$30.11

3.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$1.82 MX$31.84

20.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$1.26 MX$22.00

-17.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.75 MX$13.14

44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$4.24 MX$74.1

-3.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$17.54 MX$306

-41.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$2.02 MX$35.22

-15.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.98

$3.22 MX$56.2

-19.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.60 MX$10.46

-15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$2.66 MX$46.49

22.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.51

$1.20 MX$21.00

107.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$9.27 MX$162

-64.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.25 MX$21.91

4.80%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$19.6K MX$342.7K

54.31%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$20.1K MX$351.2K

16.52%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$26.60 MX$465

211.54%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$23.44 MX$409

-5.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$26.65 MX$465

10.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$36.26 MX$633

42.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$16.08 MX$281

13.93%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$6.07 MX$106

-16.47%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$320 MX$5,594

-37.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$4,842 MX$84.6K

7.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$51.0 MX$890

-27.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$42.95 MX$750

-7.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$98.5 MX$1,721

-20.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$96.7 MX$1,689

-9.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$518 MX$9,052

87.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,169

$404 MX$7,063

15.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$931 MX$16.3K

76.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$762 MX$13.3K

60.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$1,964 MX$34.3K

100.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,303 MX$22.8K

398.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.55

-1.13%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Clara de Valladares: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $518 in Santa Clara de Valladares. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Santa Clara de Valladares. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $237 – making Santa Clara de Valladares 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 Santa Clara de Valladares: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 29%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,513 in Santa Clara de Valladares. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Clara de Valladares, 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $1,009 in Santa Clara de Valladares. 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 $320 in Santa Clara de Valladares. 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 Santa Clara de Valladares, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Santa Clara de Valladares it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Clara de Valladares – 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 Santa Clara de Valladares. 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.