Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and St.James Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and St.James

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $924 in St.James, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,643 in St.James, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,361 in St.James, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 37% more than St.James, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and St.James are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, St.James 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.18 TTD 68.8

16.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$87.1 TTD 589

-50.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.49 TTD 50.6

42.19%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.61 TTD 24.42

-4.43%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.08 TTD 7.31

38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.79 TTD 5.32

20.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.81 TTD 12.21

67.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.07 TTD 20.74

50.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.76 TTD 18.68

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.81 TTD 18.97

-34.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.68 TTD 18.12

-39.93%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$5.08 TTD 34.33

-49.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.81 TTD 52.8

5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$10.52 TTD 71.1

-20.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$14.18 TTD 95.9

-24.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$5.96 TTD 40.28

-55.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.49 TTD 16.81

-40.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$4.22 TTD 28.55

-54.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.62 TTD 31.26

-54.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.50 TTD 10.15

24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.67 TTD 11.27

35.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.94 TTD 13.11

-45.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.41 TTD 9.53

-22.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.86 TTD 39.62

-29.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$18.70 TTD 126

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.17 TTD 14.68

-20.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.84 TTD 19.18

-8.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.05 TTD 7.13

198.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.28 TTD 8.64

96.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$15.03 TTD 102

-79.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.11 TTD 7.50

14.41%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$33.3K TTD 225.5K

-8.93%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$39.0K TTD 263.6K

-39.56%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$81.3 TTD 549

2.15%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$46.23 TTD 313

-50.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$60.6 TTD 410

-51.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$10.28 TTD 69.5

-52.04%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$329 TTD 2,224

-40.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,199 TTD 48.7K

-26.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$60.2 TTD 407

-38.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$38.56 TTD 261

3.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$145 TTD 981

-44.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$130 TTD 876

-30.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.38

112.27%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for St.James: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $87.0 in St.James. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $376 – making Playa del Carmen 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.James: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 37%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,386 in St.James. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $924 in St.James. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $329 in St.James. 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.James, where all-in costs run around $924, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In St.James 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.James – 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 St.James. 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.