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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $635 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $974 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,313 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 105% more than Santa Cruz, Laguna, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santa Cruz, Laguna are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Santa Cruz, Laguna 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$1.64 ₱102

629.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$801

$7.96 ₱497

495.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$2.77 ₱173

324.19%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.7

$1.78 ₱111

131.46%

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

$1.40 MX$23.66

$0.42 ₱26.14

233.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.43

$0.23 ₱14.30

295.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.2

$1.03 ₱64.0

211.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$0.93 ₱57.8

660.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.35

$1.64 ₱102

2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.36

$1.12 ₱69.7

91.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.00

$0.94 ₱58.6

88.30%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.60

$1.56 ₱97.1

80.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$4.75 ₱296

93.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$3.49 ₱218

164.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$7.29 ₱455

73.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.90

$1.48 ₱92.4

99.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.70

$0.50 ₱31.15

216.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.58

$1.47 ₱91.9

51.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.96

$1.08 ₱67.2

118.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.70

$1.70 ₱106

17.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.47

$1.74 ₱109

13.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.97

$0.63 ₱39.03

96.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.48

$0.53 ₱32.86

128.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.8

$2.98 ₱186

54.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$8.65 ₱539

21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.60

$0.93 ₱57.9

81.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.91

$2.01 ₱126

37.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.19

$0.25 ₱15.51

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

$11.30 ₱705

162.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.5

$0.79 ₱49.17

563.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.7

$0.25 ₱15.59

1360.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.8

$1.90 ₱118

204.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.01

$1.21 ₱75.6

27.27%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

8.27%

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

$25.8K MX$436.5K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

34.46%

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

$90.7 MX$1,533

$87.6 ₱5,460

3.56%

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

$25.19 MX$426

$17.87 ₱1,114

40.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$537

$23.16 ₱1,444

37.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,163

$32.24 ₱2,011

113.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$497

$4.72 ₱294

522.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.2

$5.34 ₱333

-8.99%

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

$226 MX$3,816

$132 ₱8,260

70.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.9K

$10.7K ₱668.8K

-60.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$801

$29.47 ₱1,838

60.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$735

$19.28 ₱1,202

125.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,356

$70.9 ₱4,419

13.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,545

$56.1 ₱3,499

62.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$273 ₱17.0K

297.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,910

$175 ₱10.9K

134.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

$500 ₱31.2K

294.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$355 ₱22.1K

261.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.4K

$2,640 ₱164.6K

53.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.4K

$1,024 ₱63.9K

554.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.75

69.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $273 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $8.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $156 – making Santa Cruz, Laguna 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, Laguna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 105%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $953 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Cruz, Laguna, 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $635 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 163% less in Santa Cruz, Laguna. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, Laguna, where all-in costs run around $635, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Santa Cruz, Laguna 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, Laguna – 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, Laguna. 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.