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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $818 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,366 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,914 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 58% more than Santa Cruz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santa Cruz are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Santa Cruz 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.93 BOB 20.11

300.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$26.95 BOB 185

54.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.08 BOB 48.54

50.28%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.72 BOB 18.63

29.41%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.82 BOB 5.65

84.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.66 BOB 4.54

46.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.43 BOB 9.82

106.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.94 BOB 13.29

129.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.08 BOB 7.42

27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.34 BOB 9.23

41.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.34 BOB 9.18

22.39%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.84 BOB 12.66

36.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.58 BOB 31.40

82.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.14 BOB 28.40

101.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.28 BOB 43.05

70.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.75 BOB 18.89

-5.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.92 BOB 6.31

58.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.13 BOB 7.73

68.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.04 BOB 7.10

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.92 BOB 6.31

93.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.94 BOB 6.43

132.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.80 BOB 5.50

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.11 BOB 7.64

-2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.13 BOB 14.61

91.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.44 BOB 51.1

38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.47 BOB 10.07

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.05 BOB 14.06

25.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.30 BOB 2.05

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$21.23 BOB 146

24.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.88 BOB 19.73

13.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.47 BOB 10.07

69.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$7.29 BOB 50.0

-55.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.55 BOB 3.77

138.18%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$29.5K BOB 202.4K

2.63%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$27.1K BOB 185.9K

-13.53%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$54.1 BOB 371

53.07%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$22.94 BOB 157

-3.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$33.45 BOB 229

-12.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$31.55 BOB 216

63.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$21.52 BOB 148

-14.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$7.04 BOB 48.28

-27.98%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$201 BOB 1,377

0.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,258 BOB 29.2K

22.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$42.30 BOB 290

-12.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$48.34 BOB 332

-17.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$84.6 BOB 580

-7.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$60.0 BOB 411

45.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$401 BOB 2,753

142.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$261 BOB 1,793

78.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$754 BOB 5,170

117.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$641 BOB 4,394

90.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,511 BOB 10.4K

161.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$844 BOB 5,788

670.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$526 BOB 3,608

26.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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 Cruz: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $401 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 run about 26% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 in Santa Cruz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $167 – making Santa Cruz 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 Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 58%, 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 $1,228 in Santa Cruz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Cruz, 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 $818 in Santa Cruz. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Santa Cruz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Santa Cruz 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 Cruz – 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 Cruz. 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.