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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $962 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,567 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,172 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% 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 6% lower, Santa Rosa 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$10.47 ARS 15.5K

14.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$34.34 ARS 50.8K

21.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$9.32 ARS 13.8K

15.34%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.74 ARS 4,056

27.74%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.65 ARS 2,442

-12.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$1.50 ARS 2,212

-41.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$2.15 ARS 3,180

37.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$3.05 ARS 4,511

47.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.24 ARS 1,840

15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.59 ARS 2,349

15.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$2.01 ARS 2,972

-21.89%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.26 ARS 3,342

11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$10.18 ARS 15.0K

-18.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$6.22 ARS 9,195

35.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$9.39 ARS 13.9K

13.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.94 ARS 2,864

34.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$2.04 ARS 3,013

-29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.31 ARS 1,929

49.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$2.51 ARS 3,707

-16.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.19 ARS 1,761

55.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.19 ARS 1,760

82.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.30 ARS 1,923

-20.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$1.49 ARS 2,206

-28.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$3.11 ARS 4,604

31.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$5.04 ARS 7,452

101.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.07 ARS 3,053

-18.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$3.03 ARS 4,476

-16.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.79 ARS 1,161

-35.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$1.54 ARS 2,271

109.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.87 ARS 1,290

177.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$5.94 ARS 8,775

-45.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.07 ARS 1,581

23.36%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$27.7K ARS 40.9M

7.28%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$30.8K ARS 45.5M

-23.22%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$65.7 ARS 97.1K

24.90%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$17.41 ARS 25.7K

31.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$22.91 ARS 33.9K

31.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$25.68 ARS 38.0K

102.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$13.57 ARS 20.1K

36.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$6.08 ARS 8,984

-18.09%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$223 ARS 330.0K

-11.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$2,666 ARS 3.9M

100.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$74.2 ARS 109.7K

-52.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$70.5 ARS 104.1K

-42.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$116 ARS 171.6K

-32.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$110 ARS 162.7K

-19.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$333 ARS 491.4K

184.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$236 ARS 348.7K

100.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$679 ARS 1.0M

142.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$542 ARS 801.7K

123.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$2,492 ARS 3.7M

62.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$1,387 ARS 2.1M

366.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

58.5

-80.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $333 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Santa Rosa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $230 – making Santa Rosa 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 Rosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 31%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,443 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $962 in Santa Rosa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $223 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 $962, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.