Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santo Andre

For one person, living is cheaper in Santo Andre: $984 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Santo Andre
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Santo Andre Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Santo Andre

🇧🇷 Brazil

$984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Santo Andre

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $984 in Santo Andre, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Santo Andre $984

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,590 in Santo Andre, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Santo Andre $1,590

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,196 in Santo Andre, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Santo Andre $2,196

Playa del Carmen costs about 22% more than Santo Andre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santo Andre are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Santo Andre 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$9.19 R$46.61

18.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$50.2 R$254

-11.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$8.66 R$43.92

35.80%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.44 R$12.35

50.82%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.37 R$6.92

-2.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.95 R$4.82

-13.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$2.32 R$11.74

31.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$3.91 R$19.84

26.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.00 R$5.08

47.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.80 R$9.13

23.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.37 R$6.97

8.03%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.50 R$12.68

-0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$10.61 R$53.8

-29.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$4.70 R$23.82

69.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$10.65 R$54.0

18.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$2.28 R$11.55

21.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.64 R$8.33

-12.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.53 R$7.74

71.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.64 R$8.33

30.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.27 R$6.43

59.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.23 R$6.21

61.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.99 R$5.01

15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.84 R$4.28

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$2.43 R$12.31

75.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$8.20 R$41.59

22.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.54 R$7.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.49 R$12.64

6.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.99 R$5.02

-46.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$27.01 R$137

1.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$1.21 R$6.11

304.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.02 R$5.17

236.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$8.28 R$41.99

-35.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.33 R$6.76

9.02%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$22.9K R$115.9K

-7.48%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$33.2K R$168.2K

-30.63%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$65.5 R$332

30.24%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$14.49 R$73.5

61.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$22.33 R$113

27.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$25.10 R$127

147.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$27.72 R$141

3.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$8.01 R$40.60

-36.33%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$551 R$2,794

-63.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$16.5K R$83.6K

-76.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$63.7 R$323

-30.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$57.0 R$289

-27.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$88.4 R$448

-17.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$79.1 R$401

13.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$400 R$2,030

144.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$301 R$1,524

23.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$663 R$3,359

153.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$541 R$2,741

102.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$1,711 R$8,673

130.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,153 R$5,844

432.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$549 R$2,783

34.33%

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: October 17, 2026

Last update for Santo Andre: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Santo Andre

$301 30.6% 19.3% $72

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Santo Andre

$216 21.9% 16.5% $43

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Santo Andre

$157 16% 21.4% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Santo Andre

$102 10.4% 25.4% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Santo Andre

$130 13.2% 16.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Santo Andre

$41 4.2% 43.2% $31

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Santo Andre

$37 3.8% 27.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $400 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 34% 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $50.0 in Santo Andre. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Playa del Carmen vs $216 in Santo Andre – so Santo Andre wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Santo Andre

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

14:00 2:00 PM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

748,919

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Santo Andre 6,600 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Santo Andre

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 Santo Andre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,477 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $984 in Santo Andre. That's a gap of about 22%.

Public transport costs about 2% 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 $984, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. 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.