Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz, Laguna: $616 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, Laguna
Learn more

Santa Cruz, Laguna Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz, Laguna

🇵🇭 Philippines

$616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $616 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Santa Cruz, Laguna $616

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $911 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Santa Cruz, Laguna $911

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,206 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Santa Cruz, Laguna $1,206

Playa del Carmen costs about 96% more than Santa Cruz, Laguna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santa Cruz, Laguna are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Santa Cruz, Laguna 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$1.55 ₱98.8

604.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$7.73 ₱494

461.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$2.79 ₱178

322.22%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.76 ₱113

116.48%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$0.37 ₱23.90

245.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.24 ₱15.42

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.01 ₱64.7

213.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$0.90 ₱57.2

447.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.54 ₱98.4

-8.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$1.15 ₱73.3

93.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$0.91 ₱57.9

56.04%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$1.52 ₱97.0

65.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$4.82 ₱308

50.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$3.29 ₱210

134.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$7.20 ₱460

76.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$1.37 ₱87.7

102.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$0.49 ₱31.52

179.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$1.43 ₱91.7

78.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.06 ₱67.7

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.67 ₱107

16.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$1.68 ₱107

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$0.61 ₱39.25

88.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.52 ₱33.12

126.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$2.93 ₱187

46.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$8.49 ₱543

17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$0.96 ₱61.4

64.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$2.06 ₱131

29.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.21 ₱13.11

161.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$11.50 ₱735

131.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$0.76 ₱48.74

553.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.22 ₱14.00

1413.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$1.93 ₱124

177.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.20 ₱76.5

20.00%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-0.18%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

23.97%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$82.8 ₱5,290

2.42%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$17.51 ₱1,118

33.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$22.58 ₱1,443

26.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$27.30 ₱1,744

108.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$4.47 ₱285

546.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$5.03 ₱321

2.19%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$128 ₱8,194

61.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$10.6K ₱677.6K

-62.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$28.32 ₱1,809

53.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$19.21 ₱1,227

115.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$69.6 ₱4,447

6.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$53.7 ₱3,431

66.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$219 ₱14.0K

347.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$160 ₱10.2K

137.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$480 ₱30.7K

255.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$298 ₱19.1K

260.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$2,453 ₱156.7K

60.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$1,079 ₱68.9K

470.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$160 26% 57.9% $221

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$153 24.8% 40% $102

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$51 8.3% 74.7% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$123 20% 10.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$77 12.5% 31.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$37 6.1% 44.5% $30

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$14 2.3% 71.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $219 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $8 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $153 – making Santa Cruz, Laguna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇭 Santa Cruz, Laguna

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

07:16 7:16 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

123,574

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Santa Cruz, Laguna 15,040 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Santa Cruz, Laguna

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, Laguna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $923 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $219 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $616 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. That makes Santa Cruz, Laguna about 49% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Santa Cruz, Laguna. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, Laguna, where all-in costs run around $616, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. 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.

For expats, Santa Cruz, Laguna is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 49% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.