Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santa Lucia Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santa Lucia

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,276 in Santa Lucia, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,800 in Santa Lucia, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,324 in Santa Lucia, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 1% more than Santa Lucia, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santa Lucia are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Santa Lucia 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$9.84 CUP 236

21.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$29.90 CUP 718

42.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$7.20 CUP 173

47.08%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$3.29 CUP 78.9

10.03%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.08 CUP 26.02

36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.87 CUP 20.97

8.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.97 CUP 47.35

56.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.05 CUP 73.2

46.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.99 CUP 47.83

-28.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.81 CUP 43.38

3.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.52 CUP 36.57

7.24%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$3.56 CUP 85.5

-25.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$6.21 CUP 149

32.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.72 CUP 137

44.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$10.80 CUP 259

2.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.76 CUP 66.3

-3.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.52 CUP 36.46

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.08 CUP 49.88

-4.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.31 CUP 55.5

-9.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$2.03 CUP 48.79

-11.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.71 CUP 41.15

27.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.01 CUP 24.25

6.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.99 CUP 23.69

5.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$3.96 CUP 95.0

0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.94 CUP 287

-14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.64 CUP 39.35

5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.39 CUP 57.4

4.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.22 CUP 5.33

136.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$25.27 CUP 606

6.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$3.26 CUP 78.3

-3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.38 CUP 9.17

531.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$15.20 CUP 365

-79.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.07 CUP 25.80

18.69%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$71.3K CUP 1.7M

-56.66%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$81.4K CUP 2.0M

-71.36%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$35.39 CUP 849

131.73%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$14.82 CUP 356

51.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$247 CUP 5,930

-88.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$39.37 CUP 945

31.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$15.01 CUP 360

24.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$0.98 CUP 23.40

407.14%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$162 CUP 3,888

22.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$3,930 CUP 94.3K

34.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$70.4 CUP 1,690

-48.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$55.5 CUP 1,331

-27.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$98.2 CUP 2,358

-18.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$106 CUP 2,554

-16.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$554 CUP 13.3K

73.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$348 CUP 8,341

33.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$746 CUP 17.9K

113.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$499 CUP 12.0K

142.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$344 CUP 8,264

1044.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$369 CUP 8,859

1646.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$56.9 CUP 1,366

1165.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.94

131.17%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucia: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $554 in Santa Lucia. 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 1165% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in Santa Lucia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $243 – making Santa Lucia 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 Lucia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 1%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. 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 $1,913 in Santa Lucia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Lucia, 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 $1,276 in Santa Lucia. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Santa Lucia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Lucia, where all-in costs run around $1,276, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Santa Lucia 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 Lucia – 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 Lucia. 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.