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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,276 in Santa Lucia, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,795 in Santa Lucia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,315 in Santa Lucia, rent included.

Playa del Carmen and Santa Lucia have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.82 CUP 236

20.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$30.44 CUP 730

40.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.79 CUP 163

56.85%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.33 CUP 79.9

3.60%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.12 CUP 26.83

33.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.87 CUP 20.99

9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.94 CUP 46.65

56.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.02 CUP 72.6

52.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.91 CUP 45.95

-27.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.87 CUP 44.99

-1.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.51 CUP 36.34

6.62%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.77 CUP 90.4

-31.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$6.26 CUP 150

31.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.73 CUP 137

46.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.09 CUP 266

-3.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.75 CUP 66.1

-4.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.59 CUP 38.11

-6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.07 CUP 49.60

-7.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.27 CUP 54.5

-7.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.99 CUP 47.64

-6.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.76 CUP 42.25

28.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.98 CUP 23.48

8.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.01 CUP 24.26

7.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.06 CUP 97.4

2.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.98 CUP 288

-13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.69 CUP 40.57

1.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.37 CUP 56.9

10.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.21 CUP 5.15

157.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$24.97 CUP 599

7.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.29 CUP 79.0

-4.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.42 CUP 10.06

497.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$15.28 CUP 367

-79.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.08 CUP 25.91

17.59%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$69.6K CUP 1.7M

-56.33%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$81.4K CUP 2.0M

-71.03%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$34.90 CUP 838

137.82%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$14.90 CUP 358

52.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$250 CUP 6,009

-88.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$39.68 CUP 952

28.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$14.83 CUP 356

23.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$1.03 CUP 24.67

378.64%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$163 CUP 3,909

21.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,920 CUP 94.1K

34.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$69.9 CUP 1,677

-47.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$54.0 CUP 1,296

-26.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$99.1 CUP 2,378

-19.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$103 CUP 2,470

-13.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$552 CUP 13.2K

73.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$349 CUP 8,370

36.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$760 CUP 18.2K

116.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$499 CUP 12.0K

145.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$339 CUP 8,139

1055.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$381 CUP 9,132

1597.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$56.0 CUP 1,345

1090.20%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucia: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $552 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 1090% higher in Playa del Carmen. 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: $250 vs $245 – 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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Santa Lucia – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $163 in Santa Lucia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Santa Lucia at $1,276. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Lucia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Lucia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.