Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and St Francis Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and St Francis Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,052 in St Francis Bay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,736 in St Francis Bay, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,421 in St Francis Bay, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 20% more than St Francis Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and St Francis Bay are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, St Francis Bay 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$11.21 R 182

3.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$43.44 R 706

8.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$3.69 R 59.9

221.95%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.13 R 34.63

86.85%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.10 R 17.81

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.79 R 12.85

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.14 R 34.83

49.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.86 R 30.23

265.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$0.92 R 14.88

82.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.08 R 17.56

103.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.55 R 25.21

10.32%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.87 R 46.62

-4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.56 R 123

26.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.49 R 89.1

64.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.90 R 145

43.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.19 R 35.58

31.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.60 R 26.03

-6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.74 R 28.34

23.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.80 R 29.24

25.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.74 R 28.21

13.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.44 R 23.35

38.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.30 R 21.08

-5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$1.01 R 16.42

18.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$3.28 R 53.2

38.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.04 R 81.8

105.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.27 R 20.70

27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.81 R 29.47

59.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$1.59 R 25.79

-62.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.61 R 9.88

783.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.51 R 8.33

631.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$8.50 R 138

-32.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.36 R 22.15

13.24%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$21.1K R 342.6K

6.92%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$35.1K R 570.9K

-25.85%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$62.8 R 1,021

45.46%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$35.85 R 582

-29.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$44.63 R 725

-30.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$33.06 R 537

103.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$12.37 R 201

135.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$9.20 R 149

-47.17%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$183 R 2,972

22.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$6,461 R 105.0K

-34.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$73.2 R 1,189

-35.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$38.76 R 630

14.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$117 R 1,893

-31.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$98.1 R 1,593

-5.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$434 R 7,054

144.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$368 R 5,982

5.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$815 R 13.2K

163.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$788 R 12.8K

61.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$909 R 14.8K

340.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$696 R 11.3K

833.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.94

-4.10%

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 St Francis Bay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $434 in St Francis Bay. 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 $43.00 in St Francis Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $196 – making St Francis Bay 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 St Francis Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. 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 $1,578 in St Francis Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St Francis Bay, 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 $1,052 in St Francis Bay. 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 $183 in St Francis Bay. 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 St Francis Bay, where all-in costs run around $1,052, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In St Francis Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St Francis Bay – 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 St Francis Bay. 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.