Last update: Nov 2026

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

Name: Santa Rosa
Address: Santa Rosa, PH

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rosa: $609 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa
Learn more

Santa Rosa Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Santa Rosa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Rosa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $609 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Santa Rosa $609

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $868 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Santa Rosa $868

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,127 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Santa Rosa $1,127

Playa del Carmen costs about 98% more than Santa Rosa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santa Rosa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Santa Rosa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$198

$2.37 ₱150

350.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$813

$16.73 ₱1,060

161.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$2.79 ₱177

322.58%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.3

$1.12 ₱70.9

238.39%

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

$1.30 MX$24.09

$0.36 ₱22.52

261.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.48

$0.24 ₱15.26

245.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.4

$1.02 ₱64.9

208.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.6

$1.28 ₱81.2

285.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.16

$1.64 ₱104

-14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.77

$1.15 ₱72.8

91.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.35

$1.02 ₱64.4

44.12%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.37

$1.55 ₱98.2

61.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$135

$4.82 ₱306

51.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$3.33 ₱211

138.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$7.53 ₱478

70.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.8

$2.18 ₱138

33.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.69

$0.80 ₱50.6

72.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.26

$2.34 ₱148

6.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.70

$1.00 ₱63.6

103.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.61

$1.64 ₱104

23.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.35

$1.67 ₱106

13.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.25

$0.87 ₱55.1

31.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.01

$0.52 ₱33.17

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.3

$2.95 ₱187

44.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$182

$8.46 ₱536

15.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.45

$0.96 ₱60.7

65.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.0

$1.98 ₱126

38.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.56

$0.22 ₱13.91

131.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$509

$12.12 ₱769

125.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.4

$0.81 ₱51.3

487.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.3

$0.20 ₱12.66

1525.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$1.91 ₱121

182.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.38

$1.02 ₱64.8

50.00%

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

$21.2K MX$393.9K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

1.56%

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

$23.3K MX$432.0K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

22.08%

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

$83.5 MX$1,550

$62.5 ₱3,961

33.61%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$6.35 ₱403

265.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$513

$22.61 ₱1,433

22.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,048

$30.97 ₱1,963

82.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$524

$5.30 ₱336

431.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$92.9

$5.01 ₱318

-0.20%

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

$207 MX$3,846

$128 ₱8,119

61.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.1K

$5,501 ₱348.6K

-4.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$807

$28.15 ₱1,785

54.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$790

$19.46 ₱1,233

118.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,351

$70.2 ₱4,448

3.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,641

$54.8 ₱3,473

61.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$254 ₱16.1K

291.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,102

$167 ₱10.6K

128.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.1K

$489 ₱31.0K

242.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$173 ₱11.0K

524.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.6K

$2,679 ₱169.8K

45.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.0K

$1,131 ₱71.7K

442.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$142 ₱9,011

485.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.75

69.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Santa Rosa

$167 27.5% 56.3% $215

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Santa Rosa

$166 27.2% 35.7% $92

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Santa Rosa

$51 8.4% 74.6% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Santa Rosa

$91 15% 31.9% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Santa Rosa

$78 12.8% 30.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Santa Rosa

$41 6.7% 38.3% $25

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Santa Rosa

$15 2.4% 70.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $254 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.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $17 in Santa Rosa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $166 – making Santa Rosa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇭 Santa Rosa

🕒 Local time

12:22 12:22 PM

01:22 1:22 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

414,812

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.38 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Santa Rosa 15,060 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Santa Rosa

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 Rosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $913 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $609 in Santa Rosa. That makes Santa Rosa about 49% cheaper.

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

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Santa Rosa, where all-in costs run around $609, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Rosa. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.