Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santo Andre Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santo Andre

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $949 in Santo Andre, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,573 in Santo Andre, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,196 in Santo Andre, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 36% more than Santo Andre, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santo Andre are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Santo Andre 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$8.70 R$44.34

34.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$48.67 R$248

-4.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$8.09 R$41.26

44.00%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$2.47 R$12.60

65.59%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.36 R$6.91

0.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.90 R$4.60

-7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$2.28 R$11.64

46.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.72 R$18.97

85.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.07 R$5.44

61.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.88 R$9.58

20.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$1.34 R$6.85

32.09%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$2.65 R$13.54

3.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$11.19 R$57.1

-17.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.70 R$23.99

89.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$10.36 R$52.8

21.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.32 R$11.81

30.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.81 R$9.21

-13.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$1.53 R$7.82

39.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$1.60 R$8.15

41.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$1.29 R$6.56

55.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$1.21 R$6.15

70.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.90 R$4.60

31.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.80 R$4.08

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$2.48 R$12.64

86.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$7.68 R$39.19

39.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.51 R$7.72

7.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$2.51 R$12.79

14.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.95 R$4.83

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$26.49 R$135

12.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$1.19 R$6.05

357.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.00 R$5.10

270.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$8.27 R$42.16

-27.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.25 R$6.38

24.00%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$22.8K R$116.2K

-2.00%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$31.0K R$157.9K

-16.20%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$64.3 R$328

38.72%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$15.46 R$78.8

61.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$21.44 R$109

46.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$24.40 R$124

177.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$27.15 R$138

6.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$7.92 R$40.38

-36.24%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$484 R$2,466

-53.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$15.4K R$78.4K

-72.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$60.5 R$308

-21.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$55.8 R$285

-19.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$91.7 R$468

-10.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$81.8 R$417

12.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$397 R$2,026

169.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$285 R$1,452

42.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$652 R$3,323

197.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$515 R$2,626

152.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$1,634 R$8,334

144.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,137 R$5,797

482.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$537 R$2,738

39.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.81

5.92%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Santo Andre: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $397 in Santo Andre. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $49.00 in Santo Andre. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Playa del Carmen vs $218 in Santo Andre – so Santo Andre 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 Santo Andre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 36%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,424 in Santo Andre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santo Andre, 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 $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $949 in Santo Andre. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Santo Andre. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santo Andre, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Santo Andre it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santo Andre – 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 Santo Andre. 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.