Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santos Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Santos

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $969 in Santos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,475 in Santos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,980 in Santos, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 34% more than Santos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Santos are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Santos 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$5.39 R$27.26

117.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$27.48 R$139

51.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.93 R$29.98

79.43%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.05 R$10.38

71.71%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.20 R$6.06

25.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.89 R$4.49

8.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.12 R$10.72

39.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.63 R$13.29

69.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.01 R$5.11

36.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.61 R$8.15

17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.33 R$6.70

23.31%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.82 R$14.28

-10.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$12.84 R$64.9

-35.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.26 R$21.56

95.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.62 R$43.61

24.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.60 R$8.12

62.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.25 R$6.34

16.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$2.12 R$10.73

-10.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.75 R$8.87

18.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.30 R$6.60

36.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.23 R$6.20

78.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.05 R$5.32

-0.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.30 R$6.60

-16.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$2.20 R$11.15

85.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$8.04 R$40.69

28.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.41 R$7.12

21.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.14 R$10.84

20.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.88 R$4.46

-42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$44.29 R$224

-40.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.29 R$6.55

152.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.83 R$4.22

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$14.57 R$73.7

-77.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.08 R$5.46

21.30%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$20.3K R$102.8K

48.96%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$28.8K R$145.9K

-18.74%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$85.8 R$434

-3.41%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$11.86 R$60.0

87.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$21.05 R$106

39.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$22.38 R$113

130.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$48.51 R$245

-62.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$7.68 R$38.84

-33.98%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$279 R$1,409

-27.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$7,916 R$40.1K

-34.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$45.47 R$230

-18.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$39.31 R$199

1.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$78.3 R$396

0.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$41.51 R$210

109.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$411 R$2,081

136.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$322 R$1,628

45.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$798 R$4,039

105.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$531 R$2,688

129.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$2,499 R$12.6K

57.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,764 R$8,926

268.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$592 R$2,994

12.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-4.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santos: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $411 in Santos. 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 12% 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 $27.00 in Santos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $215 – making Santos 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 Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 34%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,453 in Santos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santos, 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $969 in Santos. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 67% less in Santos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Santos, where all-in costs run around $969, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Santos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santos – 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 Santos. 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.