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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,162 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,964 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,766 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 12% more than Santa Rosa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santa Rosa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Santa Rosa 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$15.51 ARS 23.4K

-22.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$53.4 ARS 80.5K

-11.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$12.94 ARS 19.5K

-9.20%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.93 ARS 5,930

4.83%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.16 ARS 3,264

-35.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.71 ARS 2,583

-46.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$3.60 ARS 5,425

-10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.66 ARS 5,521

93.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.39 ARS 2,101

20.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$2.19 ARS 3,305

-1.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.58 ARS 2,385

12.03%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.35 ARS 3,544

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.14 ARS 15.3K

-9.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.58 ARS 9,924

40.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$11.72 ARS 17.7K

7.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.31 ARS 3,481

27.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.24 ARS 3,382

-29.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.37 ARS 2,062

62.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.12 ARS 3,203

11.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.09 ARS 1,645

82.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.99 ARS 1,488

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.56 ARS 2,359

-20.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.68 ARS 2,533

-27.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.22 ARS 4,861

42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$4.98 ARS 7,509

111.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.05 ARS 3,087

-17.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.84 ARS 4,282

-2.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.99 ARS 1,488

-39.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.63 ARS 2,456

221.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.01 ARS 1,528

261.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$7.52 ARS 11.3K

-23.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.16 ARS 1,747

32.76%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$28.0K ARS 42.3M

-18.69%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$33.2K ARS 50.1M

-22.27%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$84.8 ARS 128.0K

6.88%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$16.82 ARS 25.4K

49.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$27.16 ARS 41.0K

16.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$30.03 ARS 45.3K

129.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$8.40 ARS 12.7K

-42.14%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$304 ARS 458.1K

-25.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$4,259 ARS 6.4M

-1.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$107 ARS 162.1K

-55.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$76.8 ARS 115.9K

-43.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$116 ARS 175.2K

-30.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$126 ARS 190.6K

-27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$486 ARS 732.8K

123.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$307 ARS 463.2K

33.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,005 ARS 1.5M

96.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$766 ARS 1.2M

67.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,372 ARS 3.6M

70.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

56.56

-79.76%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $486 in Santa Rosa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $53.0 in Santa Rosa. Groceries tell a different story – $278 in Playa del Carmen vs $249 in Santa Rosa – so Santa Rosa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Rosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 12%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,743 in Santa Rosa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Rosa, 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $1,162 in Santa Rosa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $304 in Santa Rosa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Rosa, where all-in costs run around $1,162, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Santa Rosa 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 Rosa – 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 Rosa. 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.