Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John's and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,802 in Saint John’s, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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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Saint John's

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

$1,802

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint John's 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 John's and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,802 per month in Saint John’s vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint John's $1,802
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,835 per month in Saint John’s vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint John's $2,835
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,867 per month in Saint John’s vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint John's $3,867
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Saint John’s costs about 50% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Saint John’s sits 32% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.92 EC$45.68

$10.92 MX$203

54.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.5 EC$152

$43.37 MX$805

30.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 EC$24.81

$11.78 MX$219

-21.99%

Cappuccino

$3.62 EC$9.77

$3.81 MX$70.7

-4.99%

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

$2.01 EC$5.42

$1.28 MX$23.81

57.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 EC$3.19

$0.78 MX$14.54

51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 EC$6.44

$3.17 MX$58.8

-24.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 EC$12.05

$4.93 MX$91.7

-9.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 EC$5.86

$1.41 MX$26.12

53.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 EC$7.37

$2.22 MX$41.17

22.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 EC$4.90

$1.42 MX$26.32

28.17%

Eggs

$6.73 EC$18.16

$2.52 MX$46.85

167.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.74 EC$23.61

$7.26 MX$135

20.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.62 EC$20.59

$7.70 MX$143

-1.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.01 EC$32.43

$12.69 MX$236

-5.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.64 EC$17.92

$2.78 MX$51.7

138.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 EC$6.79

$1.37 MX$25.41

83.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.33 EC$22.49

$2.55 MX$47.37

226.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.01 EC$21.63

$2.12 MX$39.43

277.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 EC$7.58

$1.94 MX$36.00

44.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 EC$7.82

$1.89 MX$35.02

53.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 EC$6.86

$1.15 MX$21.29

120.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 EC$4.12

$1.18 MX$21.89

29.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$79.8

Wine (Bottle)

$5.39 EC$14.55

$9.95 MX$185

-45.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 EC$5.20

$1.58 MX$29.41

22.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 EC$9.03

$2.67 MX$49.60

25.09%

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)

$1.57 EC$4.25

$1.44 MX$26.82

9.03%

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)

$257 EC$693

$84.8 MX$1,575

202.91%

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

$40.33 EC$109

$23.41 MX$435

72.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.2 EC$216

$28.66 MX$532

179.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.6 EC$172

$57.1 MX$1,059

11.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$537

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 EC$17.11

$5.14 MX$95.4

23.35%

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

$187 EC$506

$207 MX$3,836

-9.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,860 EC$5,023

$3,927 MX$72.9K

-52.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.10 EC$133

$43.35 MX$805

13.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$770

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 EC$202

$74.2 MX$1,378

0.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,657

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 EC$2,839

$980 MX$18.2K

7.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 EC$1,830

$381 MX$7,072

77.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 EC$4,448

$1,708 MX$31.7K

-3.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 EC$4,057

$1,075 MX$20.0K

39.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,383 EC$3,734

$735 MX$13.6K

88.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

11.45

-51.97%

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

Last update for Saint John's: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint John's

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Saint John's

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Saint John's

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John's

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John's

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John's

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Saint John's

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,052 in Saint John’s versus $980 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.

Salaries run about 88% higher in Saint John’s. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Saint John’s versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇬 Saint John's

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

05:11 5:11 AM

1 h behind Saint John's

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,926 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.02 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

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Saint John's Playa del Carmen 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint John's
Playa del Carmen

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

Saint John's vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint John’s is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,703 per month in Saint John’s and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,052 in Saint John’s and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,802 in Saint John’s and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 33% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $187 per month in Saint John’s and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Saint John’s at $1,802. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John’s it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $1,802 in Saint John’s. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint John’s makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.