Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santiago de Compostela

Name: Santiago de Compostela
Address: Santiago de Compostela, ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,443 in Santiago de Compostela, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Santiago de Compostela
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Santiago de Compostela Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Santiago de Compostela

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,443

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Santiago de Compostela

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 Santiago de Compostela actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,443 in Santiago de Compostela, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Santiago de Compostela $1,443

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,226 in Santiago de Compostela, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Santiago de Compostela $2,226

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,008 in Santiago de Compostela, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Santiago de Compostela $3,008

Playa del Carmen is about 17% cheaper than Santiago de Compostela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Santiago de Compostela is 6% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$13.64 €12.25

-19.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$67.6 €60.7

-35.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$9.43 €8.47

24.92%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.94 €1.74

96.39%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$2.78 €2.49

-53.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$2.13 €1.92

-63.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$2.96 €2.66

7.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$3.95 €3.55

24.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.21 €1.09

16.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$1.16 €1.04

91.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.34 €1.20

5.97%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$2.80 €2.52

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$9.15 €8.22

-20.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$6.75 €6.06

14.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$16.50 €14.82

-23.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$2.09 €1.88

33.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$2.13 €1.91

-35.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$1.49 €1.34

71.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$2.84 €2.55

-25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.98 €1.78

-2.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$1.47 €1.32

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.14 €1.02

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.83 €0.74

42.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$5.75 €5.17

-25.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$4.91 €4.41

102.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.43 €1.29

10.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$2.37 €2.13

12.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.26 €1.13

-56.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$32.86 €29.52

-18.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$4.90 €4.40

1.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.36 €1.22

144.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$18.97 €17.04

-71.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.77 €1.59

-18.64%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$34.9K €31.3K

-40.71%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$29.7K €26.7K

-20.97%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$152 €137

-44.39%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$21.57 €19.37

8.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$32.85 €29.51

-12.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$50.7 €45.55

12.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$2.27 €2.04

1173.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$10.20 €9.17

-49.61%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$335 €301

-38.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$8,280 €7,438

-52.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$90.1 €80.9

-51.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$64.1 €57.6

-35.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$103 €92.1

-27.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$93.8 €84.3

-4.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$739 €664

32.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$515 €463

-26.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$1,070 €961

59.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$868 €780

23.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$3,100 €2,785

27.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$2,153 €1,934

186.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$1,886 €1,694

-61.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.96

286.82%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Santiago de Compostela

$515 35.7% 35.3% $134

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Santiago de Compostela

$239 16.6% 6% $15

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Santiago de Compostela

$203 14.1% 0.3% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Santiago de Compostela

$207 14.3% 51.2% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Santiago de Compostela

$158 10.9% 41.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Santiago de Compostela

$71 4.9% 5.6% $3.8

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Santiago de Compostela

$50 3.4% 1.7% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $739 in Santiago de Compostela. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Santiago de Compostela are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $68 in Santiago de Compostela. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $239 in Santiago de Compostela – so Santiago de Compostela wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇪🇸 Santiago de Compostela

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

23:29 11:29 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

98,687

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Santiago de Compostela 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Santiago de Compostela

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 Santiago de Compostela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santiago de Compostela is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,164 in Santiago de Compostela. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santiago de Compostela, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $739 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,443 in Santiago de Compostela. That makes Playa del Carmen about 17% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,443 in Santiago de Compostela. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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