Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Andrews and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,252 in Saint Andrews, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Saint Andrews
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Saint Andrews Living Index
57

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

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Saint Andrews

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,252

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Andrews and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Saint Andrews and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,252 per month in Saint Andrews vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint Andrews $2,252
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $3,235 per month in Saint Andrews vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint Andrews $3,235
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,219 per month in Saint Andrews vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint Andrews $4,219
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Saint Andrews costs about 87% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Saint Andrews sits 67% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.63 CA$24.71

$10.67 MX$200

65.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 CA$90.6

$43.80 MX$823

47.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 CA$14.86

$11.79 MX$221

-10.09%

Cappuccino

$3.73 CA$5.23

$3.79 MX$71.1

-1.58%

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

$1.98 CA$2.78

$1.30 MX$24.36

52.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.36

$0.83 MX$15.65

102.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 CA$7.39

$3.15 MX$59.1

67.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 CA$7.97

$4.93 MX$92.7

15.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.95

$1.41 MX$26.46

49.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 CA$3.56

$2.20 MX$41.23

15.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.93

$1.47 MX$27.66

138.78%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.83

$2.50 MX$46.89

38.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 CA$14.23

$7.29 MX$137

39.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.58 CA$16.23

$7.95 MX$149

45.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 CA$21.01

$12.86 MX$242

16.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.33

$2.90 MX$54.4

31.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 CA$1.91

$1.38 MX$25.98

-1.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 CA$5.03

$2.49 MX$46.78

44.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.29

$2.03 MX$38.12

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.39

$2.02 MX$38.03

19.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CA$3.07

$1.90 MX$35.74

15.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 CA$3.38

$1.14 MX$21.49

111.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.24 MX$23.27

28.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.28 CA$20.02

$4.27 MX$80.2

234.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 CA$18.11

$9.81 MX$184

31.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CA$3.84

$1.59 MX$29.78

72.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CA$4.48

$2.75 MX$51.6

16.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.30

$0.51 MX$9.67

360.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 CA$88.9

$27.39 MX$514

131.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$4.76 MX$89.4

-38.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.08

$3.25 MX$61.0

-54.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.86 CA$33.44

$5.39 MX$101

342.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.65

$1.53 MX$28.70

-22.88%

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

$28.1K CA$39.4K

$21.2K MX$398.4K

32.54%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$23.3K MX$436.9K

-9.40%

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

$137 CA$192

$83.5 MX$1,568

64.25%

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

$38.16 CA$53.5

$23.19 MX$435

64.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 CA$76.3

$27.61 MX$519

97.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.52 CA$52.6

$56.4 MX$1,060

-33.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.30 CA$25.65

$28.19 MX$529

-35.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 CA$15.14

$5.00 MX$93.9

116.00%

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

$648 CA$908

$207 MX$3,889

212.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K CA$18.6K

$5,231 MX$98.2K

154.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 CA$77.9

$43.45 MX$816

27.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.69 CA$54.2

$42.54 MX$799

-9.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 CA$123

$72.8 MX$1,367

20.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$148

$88.4 MX$1,660

19.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 CA$1,807

$995 MX$18.7K

29.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 CA$1,578

$382 MX$7,181

194.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 CA$2,762

$1,674 MX$31.4K

17.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 CA$2,352

$1,081 MX$20.3K

55.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,296 CA$6,021

$3,909 MX$73.4K

9.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,614 CA$5,067

$6,138 MX$115.3K

-41.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

11.45

-59.13%

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

Last update for Saint Andrews: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Andrews

$1.1K 50%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 66% $744

Groceries & Markets

Saint Andrews

$354 15.7%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 27.3% $97

Eating Out

Saint Andrews

$270 12%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 25.8% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Andrews

$230 10.2%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 41.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Andrews

$129 5.7%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 14% $18

Getting Around

Saint Andrews

$83 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 39.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Andrews

$59 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 12.4% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,289 in Saint Andrews versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $65 in Saint Andrews versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Saint Andrews

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

09:28 9:28 AM

1 h behind Saint Andrews

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saint Andrews Playa del Carmen 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Andrews
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Saint Andrews vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint Andrews is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,377 per month in Saint Andrews and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,289 in Saint Andrews.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,252 in Saint Andrews and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 47% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Saint Andrews at $2,252. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Andrews it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 47% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.