Comparación del coste de vida entre Playa del Carmen y Santa Fe Comparación del coste de vida entre Playa del Carmen y Santa Fe

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $816 in Santa Fe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,233 in Santa Fe, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,649 in Santa Fe, rent included.

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

Both Playa del Carmen and Santa Fe are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Santa Fe 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.96 ARS 9,712

71.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$16.37 ARS 22.8K

161.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.53 ARS 10.5K

40.64%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.69 ARS 2,362

114.20%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.33 ARS 1,857

10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$1.12 ARS 1,558

-16.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.24 ARS 1,724

149.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.47 ARS 3,450

80.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.98 ARS 1,361

45.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.98 ARS 1,371

91.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.80 ARS 2,512

-9.44%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.52 ARS 2,120

73.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.92 ARS 12.4K

-7.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.92 ARS 8,254

40.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.21 ARS 11.5K

35.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.88 ARS 2,623

40.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.18 ARS 3,036

-31.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.93 ARS 1,297

113.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.70 ARS 3,773

-22.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.52 ARS 721

244.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.45 ARS 2,022

50.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.93 ARS 1,293

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.81 ARS 2,521

-42.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.30 ARS 4,607

20.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.41 ARS 8,942

59.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.24 ARS 1,735

39.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.14 ARS 4,378

-20.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.98 ARS 1,361

-46.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.99 ARS 1,380

217.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.88 ARS 1,223

172.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.88 ARS 8,209

-47.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.03 ARS 1,442

23.30%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$29.4K ARS 41.0M

5.02%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$29.5K ARS 41.2M

-21.09%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$55.0 ARS 76.7K

49.11%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$8.10 ARS 11.3K

177.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$14.46 ARS 20.2K

105.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$40.57 ARS 56.6K

27.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$13.56 ARS 18.9K

37.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.09 ARS 7,107

-2.36%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$221 ARS 309.0K

-10.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$1,075 ARS 1.5M

390.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$61.2 ARS 85.4K

-40.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$60.9 ARS 85.0K

-34.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$108 ARS 150.6K

-25.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$93.4 ARS 130.3K

-4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$320 ARS 446.4K

201.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$202 ARS 282.4K

129.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$583 ARS 813.6K

173.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$325 ARS 453.6K

271.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,245 ARS 1.7M

216.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,030 ARS 1.4M

526.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$848 ARS 1.2M

-15.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

100

-88.58%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Última actualización para Santa Fe: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $320 in Santa Fe. 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 18% higher in Santa Fe, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Santa Fe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $209 – making Santa Fe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Playa del Carmen vs Santa Fe: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,224 in Santa Fe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Fe, 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $816 in Santa Fe. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $221 in Santa Fe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Fe, where all-in costs run around $816, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Santa Fe 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 Fe – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Fe. 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.