Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santa Cruz, Aruba

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,886 in Santa Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇦🇼 Aruba

$1,886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,886 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Santa Cruz $1,886

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,900 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Santa Cruz $2,900

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,914 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Santa Cruz $3,914

Playa del Carmen is about 36% cheaper than Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Santa Cruz is 40% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$823

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.1

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

$1.30 MX$24.36

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.65

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.46

$2.20 AWG 3.94

-35.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.23

$2.64 AWG 4.73

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.66

$4.42 AWG 7.91

-66.74%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.89

$4.78 AWG 8.55

-47.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

$8.14 AWG 14.57

-10.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

$7.69 AWG 13.77

3.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

$6.75 AWG 12.08

90.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.4

$4.52 AWG 8.08

-35.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.98

$4.57 AWG 8.17

-69.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.78

$8.12 AWG 14.54

-69.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.12

$6.87 AWG 12.29

-70.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.03

$6.70 AWG 11.99

-69.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.74

$1.89 AWG 3.39

0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.49

$3.00 AWG 5.37

-62.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.27

$4.54 AWG 8.13

-72.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.2

$10.34 AWG 18.51

-58.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$19.59 AWG 35.05

-49.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.78

$2.55 AWG 4.56

-37.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.6

$3.09 AWG 5.54

-11.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.67

$1.96 AWG 3.50

-73.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$514

$154 AWG 276

-82.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.4

$19.32 AWG 34.57

-75.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$19.75 AWG 35.34

-72.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.70

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

$21.2K MX$398.4K

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

$23.3K MX$436.9K

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

$83.5 MX$1,568

$141 AWG 252

-40.60%

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

$23.19 MX$435

$71.3 AWG 128

-67.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$519

$207 AWG 371

-86.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,060

$68.5 AWG 123

-17.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

$46.44 AWG 83.1

-39.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.9

$8.39 AWG 15.02

-40.41%

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

$207 MX$3,889

$141 AWG 252

46.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$816

$78.8 AWG 141

-44.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$799

$110 AWG 197

-61.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,367

$140 AWG 251

-48.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,660

$137 AWG 245

-35.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$1,268 AWG 2,270

-21.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,181

$557 AWG 998

-31.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.4K

$1,534 AWG 2,746

9.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$1,407 AWG 2,519

-23.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

$3,667 AWG 6,564

-77.31%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Santa Cruz

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Santa Cruz

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Santa Cruz

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Santa Cruz

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Santa Cruz

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Santa Cruz

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Santa Cruz

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,268 in Santa Cruz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Santa Cruz are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇦🇼 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

22:31 10:31 PM

23:31 11:31 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

15,236

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.498 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.08 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.498 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Santa Cruz 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Cruz is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,829 in Santa Cruz. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,268 in Santa Cruz.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,886 in Santa Cruz. That makes Playa del Carmen about 36% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $141 in Santa Cruz. 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 Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Santa Cruz at $1,886. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Cruz 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 $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,886 in Santa Cruz. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Cruz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.