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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $776 in Santo Andre, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,241 in Santo Andre, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,707 in Santo Andre, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 62% 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 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$7.05 R$35.91

70.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$33.02 R$168

26.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.73 R$34.25

59.73%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.79 R$9.13

95.53%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.25 R$6.36

16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.82 R$4.16

7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.22 R$11.30

32.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.87 R$14.60

57.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.02 R$5.19

40.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.82 R$9.28

1.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.30 R$6.61

20.77%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.33 R$11.86

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.06 R$51.2

-17.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.16 R$21.20

102.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.19 R$41.71

30.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.14 R$10.89

21.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.62 R$8.26

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.37 R$6.97

43.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.73 R$8.81

20.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.44 R$7.31

28.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.24 R$6.33

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.93 R$4.76

10.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.63 R$3.23

69.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.78 R$9.09

130.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$3.94 R$20.05

158.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.30 R$6.63

29.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.31 R$11.78

9.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.88 R$4.47

-42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$38.21 R$195

-31.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.10 R$5.58

193.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.75 R$3.83

221.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$7.72 R$39.33

-58.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.03 R$5.23

28.16%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$21.7K R$110.4K

36.91%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$28.9K R$147.3K

-18.23%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$54.6 R$278

50.12%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$13.34 R$67.9

72.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$20.32 R$103

48.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$23.30 R$119

123.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$19.10 R$97.3

-2.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.41 R$37.71

-32.79%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$325 R$1,655

-39.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$8,617 R$43.9K

-38.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$51.6 R$262

-30.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$45.24 R$230

-10.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$75.9 R$386

3.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$73.1 R$372

21.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$246 R$1,254

284.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$164 R$833

189.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$478 R$2,433

243.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$317 R$1,616

281.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,629 R$8,292

149.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,213 R$6,174

433.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$611 R$3,111

7.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.17

2.24%

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 Santo Andre: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $246 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 7% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $33.00 in Santo Andre. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $190 – making Santo Andre 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 Santo Andre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 62%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,163 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $776 in Santo Andre. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 47% 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 $776, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.