Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santa Rita

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rita: $978 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Santa Rita

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Santa Rita

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Santa Rita actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $978 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Santa Rita $978

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,468 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Santa Rita $1,468

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,958 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Santa Rita $1,958

Playa del Carmen costs about 23% more than Santa Rita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santa Rita are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Santa Rita 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$3.57 ₲20.3K

204.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$35.71 ₲203.1K

23.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$3.61 ₲20.5K

1.94%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.86 ₲4,909

55.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.55 ₲3,145

49.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$1.38 ₲7,872

257.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.13 ₲6,404

30.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.91 ₲10.9K

16.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.25 ₲7,102

18.40%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.91 ₲16.5K

-14.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$8.09 ₲46.0K

-7.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$4.30 ₲24.4K

85.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$11.56 ₲65.8K

8.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$5.19 ₲29.5K

-46.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$3.58 ₲20.3K

-26.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$3.17 ₲18.0K

-32.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$3.60 ₲20.5K

-43.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$2.71 ₲15.4K

-26.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.92 ₲5,217

23.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.37 ₲7,786

-12.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$5.14 ₲29.2K

94.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.87 ₲16.3K

-7.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.45 ₲8,241

-63.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$42.91 ₲244.0K

-35.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$4.33 ₲24.6K

-20.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$3.82 ₲21.7K

40.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.43 ₲8,119

1.40%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$9,866 ₲56.1M

114.46%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$108 ₲614.4K

-21.00%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$24.98 ₲142.0K

-6.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$39.66 ₲225.5K

-28.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$43.41 ₲246.8K

43.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$26.74 ₲152.1K

7.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$8.60 ₲48.9K

-40.70%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$77.6 ₲441.4K

159.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$52.6 ₲299.0K

-15.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$88.4 ₲502.4K

-53.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$71.4 ₲405.9K

25.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$350 ₲2.0M

179.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$263 ₲1.5M

41.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$445 ₲2.5M

277.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$349 ₲2.0M

213.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$530 ₲3.0M

39.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Santa Rita: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Santa Rita

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Santa Rita

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Santa Rita

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Santa Rita

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Santa Rita

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Santa Rita

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Santa Rita

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $350 in Santa Rita. 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 39% 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.00 in Santa Rita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $236 – making Santa Rita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇾 Santa Rita

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

09:43 9:43 AM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

35,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Santa Rita 6,210 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Santa Rita

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Rita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,467 in Santa Rita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Rita, 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $978 in Santa Rita. That's a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Santa Rita. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Rita, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Santa Rita 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 Rita – 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 Rita. 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.