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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,192 in Stellenbosch, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,948 in Stellenbosch, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,704 in Stellenbosch, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 12% more than Stellenbosch, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Stellenbosch are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Stellenbosch 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$7.38 R 119

76.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$33.55 R 540

37.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$5.00 R 80.5

151.80%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.08 R 33.56

92.31%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.92 R 14.89

54.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.74 R 11.92

9.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$2.54 R 40.96

20.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.80 R 45.11

143.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.43 R 23.07

19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.08 R 17.34

105.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.68 R 27.13

2.38%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.96 R 47.76

-8.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$8.52 R 137

9.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$6.02 R 97.0

47.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$8.48 R 137

50.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$1.52 R 24.49

105.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.59 R 25.53

-2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.67 R 26.83

28.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.50 R 24.16

56.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$1.27 R 20.42

59.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.52 R 24.56

30.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.22 R 19.73

1.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.96 R 15.45

23.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$3.33 R 53.7

39.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$6.17 R 99.4

69.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.38 R 22.22

14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.29 R 36.92

27.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$0.61 R 9.77

772.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$1.47 R 23.73

153.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$4.96 R 79.9

16.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.36 R 21.96

13.97%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$35.8K R 576.8K

-37.54%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$33.3K R 537.1K

-23.32%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$106 R 1,701

-15.47%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$30.73 R 495

-24.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$37.23 R 600

-14.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$29.56 R 476

132.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$6.00 R 96.6

390.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$6.76 R 109

-25.15%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$241 R 3,880

-7.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$1,819 R 29.3K

135.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$53.8 R 867

-14.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$21.27 R 343

108.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$118 R 1,902

-19.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$92.8 R 1,494

-0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$696 R 11.2K

53.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$495 R 7,974

-20.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$1,491 R 24.0K

33.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$1,210 R 19.5K

7.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$3,214 R 51.8K

-76.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

5.45%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Stellenbosch: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $696 in Stellenbosch. 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 330% higher in Stellenbosch, 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Stellenbosch. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $203 – making Stellenbosch 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 Stellenbosch: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 12%, 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 $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,788 in Stellenbosch. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stellenbosch, 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 $1,330 in Playa del Carmen and $1,192 in Stellenbosch. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $222 per month in Playa del Carmen and $241 in Stellenbosch. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Stellenbosch, where all-in costs run around $1,192, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. In Stellenbosch it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Stellenbosch – 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 Stellenbosch. 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.