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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,086 in Sayulita, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,756 in Sayulita, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,425 in Sayulita, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% more than Sayulita, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sayulita are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Sayulita 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$10.53 MX$181

10.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$38.24 MX$659

23.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.81 MX$135

52.11%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.22 MX$55.4

23.60%

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

$1.43 MX$24.58

$1.24 MX$21.41

15.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.90 MX$15.59

-8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.23 MX$38.33

43.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.89 MX$67.0

74.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.86

$1.48 MX$25.43

13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.84

$2.63 MX$45.22

-16.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.42

$1.55 MX$26.68

10.32%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.21

$2.31 MX$39.74

18.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.24 MX$142

16.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.10 MX$139

11.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.42 MX$179

22.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.75

$2.62 MX$45.18

10.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.79

$1.44 MX$24.73

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.00

$1.71 MX$29.46

25.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.92

$1.65 MX$28.44

36.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.11

$1.83 MX$31.47

8.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.27

$2.00 MX$34.40

-0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.26

$1.26 MX$21.66

-2.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.61

$0.98 MX$16.87

22.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.4

$4.11 MX$70.8

10.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$10.88 MX$187

-4.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.57 MX$26.96

3.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.61

$2.76 MX$47.51

4.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.64 MX$11.09

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$2.63 MX$45.34

104.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.55 MX$26.70

140.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.4

$8.06 MX$139

-28.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.46

$1.30 MX$22.43

18.46%

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

$22.5K MX$388.4K

$21.4K MX$369.3K

5.17%

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

$26.1K MX$448.8K

$22.1K MX$380.5K

17.96%

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

$91.4 MX$1,574

$57.1 MX$983

60.18%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$21.81 MX$376

15.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$27.64 MX$476

13.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,158

$36.27 MX$625

85.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$15.84 MX$273

83.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.56 MX$78.6

6.58%

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

$224 MX$3,852

$208 MX$3,584

7.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$3,612 MX$62.2K

17.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$53.1 MX$915

-11.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$40.14 MX$691

10.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,380

$88.9 MX$1,531

-9.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$78.0 MX$1,344

18.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$514 MX$8,856

106.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,721

$389 MX$6,700

0.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$922 MX$15.9K

133.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$764 MX$13.2K

66.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,741 MX$30.0K

129.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,167 MX$20.1K

457.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.48

-0.26%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sayulita: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $514 in Sayulita. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Sayulita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $251 – making Sayulita 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 Sayulita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 17%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,630 in Sayulita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sayulita, 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,086 in Sayulita. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $208 in Sayulita. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sayulita, where all-in costs run around $1,086, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Sayulita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sayulita – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sayulita. 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.