Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Todos Santos Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Todos Santos

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,103 in Todos Santos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,745 in Todos Santos, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,388 in Todos Santos, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 15% more than Todos Santos, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Todos Santos are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Todos Santos 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.61 MX$182

11.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$39.25 MX$674

9.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.12 MX$139

31.16%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.25 MX$55.8

6.15%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.28 MX$22.04

17.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.90 MX$15.44

5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.41 MX$41.42

25.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.83 MX$65.7

20.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.44 MX$24.74

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.62 MX$44.89

-29.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.55 MX$26.60

3.87%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.32 MX$39.88

11.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.92 MX$136

4.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$8.07 MX$139

3.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.56 MX$181

0.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.59 MX$44.41

1.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.38 MX$23.75

7.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.79 MX$30.70

7.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.64 MX$28.21

27.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.93 MX$33.09

-3.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.92 MX$33.04

17.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.21 MX$20.70

-12.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.98 MX$16.82

11.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.27 MX$73.3

-2.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.54 MX$181

-1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.61 MX$27.68

6.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.73 MX$46.88

-4.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.66 MX$11.29

-18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.57 MX$44.19

21.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.53 MX$26.29

64.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.42 MX$144

-62.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.26 MX$21.65

0.79%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.2K MX$364.7K

42.94%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$22.6K MX$387.4K

4.42%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$56.2 MX$964

47.77%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$22.38 MX$384

1.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$28.57 MX$490

3.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$36.25 MX$622

40.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$15.61 MX$268

17.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.77 MX$81.8

3.35%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$210 MX$3,607

-6.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,600 MX$61.8K

46.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$53.9 MX$926

-31.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$40.36 MX$693

-1.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$88.9 MX$1,525

-9.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$78.2 MX$1,343

14.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$501 MX$8,598

90.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$393 MX$6,740

21.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$948 MX$16.3K

73.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$747 MX$12.8K

63.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,745 MX$30.0K

124.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,141 MX$19.6K

466.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.48

-0.52%

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 Todos Santos: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $501 in Todos Santos. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Todos Santos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $249 – making Todos Santos 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 Todos Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 15%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,655 in Todos Santos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Todos Santos, 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,103 in Todos Santos. 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 $210 in Todos Santos. 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 Todos Santos, where all-in costs run around $1,103, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Todos Santos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Todos Santos – 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 Todos Santos. 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.