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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $676 in Santa Maria, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,082 in Santa Maria, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,488 in Santa Maria, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 92% more than Santa Maria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santa Maria are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Santa Maria 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.41 R$22.32

165.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$26.70 R$135

55.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.39 R$32.32

66.51%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.36 R$6.88

158.82%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.94 R$4.78

60.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.59 R$2.99

64.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.45 R$7.35

103.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.55 R$17.97

25.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$0.83 R$4.21

66.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.38 R$6.97

36.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.06 R$5.35

54.72%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.50 R$7.60

67.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$8.47 R$42.85

-1.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.58 R$18.14

132.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.62 R$38.53

40.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.08 R$10.51

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.26 R$6.37

15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.31 R$6.65

45.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.47 R$7.43

41.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.09 R$5.53

63.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.08 R$5.45

102.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.77 R$3.87

35.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.62 R$3.12

74.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.95 R$9.89

109.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$7.74 R$39.15

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.01 R$5.11

69.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.89 R$9.59

36.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.94 R$4.74

-45.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$26.77 R$135

-1.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.58 R$8.02

106.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.04 R$5.26

139.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$5.28 R$26.71

-38.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.99 R$5.02

32.32%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$23.1K R$116.9K

31.00%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$27.1K R$137.1K

-13.52%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$48.41 R$245

71.18%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$14.90 R$75.4

49.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$16.45 R$83.2

78.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$21.75 R$110

137.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$11.02 R$55.7

66.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$5.15 R$26.03

-1.55%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$142 R$716

41.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$2,668 R$13.5K

95.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$49.06 R$248

-24.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$38.92 R$197

2.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$81.3 R$411

-3.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$57.0 R$288

52.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$272 R$1,379

256.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$156 R$788

200.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$573 R$2,901

186.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$333 R$1,687

266.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,954 R$9,884

101.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$683 R$3,455

851.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$623 R$3,154

6.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $272 in Santa Maria. 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 6% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 in Santa Maria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $169 – making Santa Maria 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 Maria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 92%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,015 in Santa Maria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Maria, 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $676 in Santa Maria. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Santa Maria. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Maria, where all-in costs run around $676, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Santa Maria 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 Maria – 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 Maria. 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.