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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $656 in Santa Cruz del Seibo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,049 in Santa Cruz del Seibo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,442 in Santa Cruz del Seibo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 93% more than Santa Cruz del Seibo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santa Cruz del Seibo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Santa Cruz del Seibo 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$8.27 DOP 487

40.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$42.76 DOP 2,520

10.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$5.10 DOP 300

132.94%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.82 DOP 107

118.68%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.73 DOP 43.27

95.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.38 DOP 22.59

115.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.50 DOP 147

27.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.00 DOP 235

69.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.24 DOP 73.3

35.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.78 DOP 105

23.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.54 DOP 90.8

11.04%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.52 DOP 89.8

80.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$6.40 DOP 377

49.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.60 DOP 212

150.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$4.71 DOP 277

171.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$3.72 DOP 219

-22.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.47 DOP 86.5

2.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$3.34 DOP 197

-35.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.21 DOP 131

2.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$3.71 DOP 219

-46.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.92 DOP 172

-31.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.91 DOP 53.8

35.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.62 DOP 95.7

-25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$4.97 DOP 293

-8.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$17.05 DOP 1,005

-39.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$3.06 DOP 180

-47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$3.40 DOP 200

-15.29%

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

$2.48 DOP 146

117.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$3.38 DOP 199

10.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.42 DOP 83.7

8.45%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$15.1K DOP 891.5K

49.06%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$25.4K DOP 1.5M

2.67%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$98.1 DOP 5,782

-6.86%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$27.13 DOP 1,599

-7.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$39.79 DOP 2,345

-21.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$5.19 DOP 306

-6.36%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$154 DOP 9,094

44.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$5,493 DOP 323.7K

-23.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$27.50 DOP 1,621

71.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$46.34 DOP 2,731

-4.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$62.5 DOP 3,685

28.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$67.5 DOP 3,980

37.21%

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

4.09%

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 Santa Cruz del Seibo: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $43.00 in Santa Cruz del Seibo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $242 – making Santa Cruz del Seibo 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 del Seibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 93%, 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 $984 in Santa Cruz del Seibo. 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 $656 in Santa Cruz del Seibo. 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 $154 in Santa Cruz del Seibo. 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 Cruz del Seibo, where all-in costs run around $656, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Santa Cruz del Seibo 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 del Seibo – 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 del Seibo. 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.