Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and St John

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $322 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$322

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in St John

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 St John actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $322 in St John, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
St John $322

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $927 in St John, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
St John $927

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,531 in St John, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
St John $1,531

Playa del Carmen costs about 274% more than St John.

Both Playa del Carmen and St John are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, St John 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$20.06 $20.06

-45.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$805

$174 $174

-75.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$70.7

$7.14 $7.14

-46.64%

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

$1.28 MX$23.81

$2.94 $2.94

-56.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.54

$1.96 $1.96

-60.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$58.8

$8.05 $8.05

-60.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.7

$8.09 $8.09

-39.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.12

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.17

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.32

Eggs

$2.52 MX$46.85

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.41

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.37

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.43

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.00

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.02

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$79.8

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$61.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.82

$1.62 $1.62

-11.11%

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

$20.7K MX$383.8K

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

$23.5K MX$435.8K

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

$84.8 MX$1,575

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

$23.41 MX$435

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$532

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,059

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$537

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.4

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

$207 MX$3,836

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$72.9K

$13.3K $13.3K

-70.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$805

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$770

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,378

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,657

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,072

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.2K

$12.8K $12.8K

-69.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.6K

$5,075 $5,075

-85.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.05

62.41%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for St John: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

St John

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

St John

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

St John

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in St John are about 6.9 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $174 in St John. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

22:49 10:49 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,743

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen St John 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
St John

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 St John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 274% more than St John, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $483 in St John. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $322 in St John. That makes St John about 73% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $174 in St John. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in St John, where all-in costs run around $322, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In St John it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $322 in St John to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.