Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santa Lucía Milpas Altas Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $756 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,240 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,724 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 68% more than Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santa Lucía Milpas Altas are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$6.97 Q 53.2

66.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$50.4 Q 385

-6.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.95 Q 60.6

49.43%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.42 Q 26.06

16.37%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.11 Q 8.45

28.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.84 Q 6.42

-2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$3.23 Q 24.63

-1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.65 Q 35.47

46.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$2.11 Q 16.10

-20.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$2.87 Q 21.87

-23.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.13 Q 16.25

-19.72%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.49 Q 19.00

10.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$6.29 Q 47.97

52.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$9.19 Q 70.1

-1.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$13.53 Q 103

-5.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$4.01 Q 30.57

-27.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.66 Q 12.67

-9.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.87 Q 21.92

-25.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.64 Q 12.54

37.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.54 Q 11.71

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.09 Q 15.96

-4.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.75 Q 5.68

64.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.21 Q 9.25

-0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$4.12 Q 31.42

10.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.07 Q 61.6

28.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.72 Q 13.11

-5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.58 Q 19.72

11.63%

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

$5.29 Q 40.33

1.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$10.51 Q 80.2

-45.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.22 Q 9.33

26.23%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$27.8K Q 212.2K

-18.93%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$25.3K Q 193.0K

2.97%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$75.6 Q 577

20.83%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$29.40 Q 224

-14.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$46.14 Q 352

-32.29%

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

$6.46 Q 49.31

-24.77%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$347 Q 2,648

-35.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$6,602 Q 50.4K

-35.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$47.08 Q 359

0.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$46.86 Q 357

-5.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$111 Q 848

-27.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$111 Q 846

-16.43%

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

11.62

-1.46%

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 Lucía Milpas Altas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $50.0 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $280 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Lucía Milpas Altas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 68%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. 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 $1,133 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. 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 $756 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. 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 $347 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. 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 Lucía Milpas Altas, where all-in costs run around $756, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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 Lucía Milpas Altas – 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 Lucía Milpas Altas. 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.