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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,685 per month in Saint John's vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,736 per month in Saint John's vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,786 per month in Saint John's vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint John's costs about 34% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Saint John's sits 26% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.70 EC$36.98

$11.99 MX$210

14.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.1 EC$227

$41.78 MX$733

101.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 EC$29.69

$10.75 MX$189

2.33%

Cappuccino

$4.01 EC$10.82

$3.50 MX$61.3

14.57%

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

$2.11 EC$5.69

$1.45 MX$25.41

45.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 EC$2.52

$0.88 MX$15.52

5.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 EC$4.86

$2.95 MX$51.7

-38.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 EC$12.29

$4.51 MX$79.1

0.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 EC$5.96

$1.43 MX$25.12

54.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 EC$7.68

$1.84 MX$32.23

54.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 EC$5.02

$1.57 MX$27.51

18.47%

Eggs

$5.43 EC$14.67

$2.51 MX$44.06

116.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 EC$21.39

$8.28 MX$145

-4.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 EC$22.23

$8.43 MX$148

-2.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

Apples (1kg)

$6.37 EC$17.21

$2.61 MX$45.76

144.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 EC$6.48

$1.44 MX$25.22

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.11 EC$21.89

$1.96 MX$34.41

313.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.13 EC$21.96

$2.09 MX$36.74

289.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 EC$7.76

$1.85 MX$32.47

55.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 EC$7.80

$2.17 MX$38.02

33.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 EC$7.11

$1.03 MX$18.09

155.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 EC$4.88

$1.07 MX$18.84

69.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 EC$24.36

$10.17 MX$178

-11.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 EC$7.26

$1.68 MX$29.38

60.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 EC$9.77

$2.53 MX$44.31

43.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 EC$2.72

$0.51 MX$8.93

98.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 EC$14.64

$3.23 MX$56.7

67.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.90 EC$15.92

$2.41 MX$42.19

144.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.91 EC$53.8

$3.23 MX$56.6

516.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 EC$4.51

$1.32 MX$23.17

26.52%

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

$23.6K EC$63.6K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-20.67%

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

$20.8K EC$56.2K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

-12.07%

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

$129 EC$349

$82.0 MX$1,439

57.41%

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

$41.14 EC$111

$22.95 MX$403

79.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.6 EC$196

$30.11 MX$528

141.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.0 EC$173

$52.0 MX$912

23.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.87 EC$99.5

$18.53 MX$325

98.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 EC$16.97

$4.98 MX$87.3

26.31%

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

$197 MX$3,463

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,850 EC$4,994

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-65.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 EC$197

$78.8 MX$1,381

-7.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 EC$2,946

$947 MX$16.6K

15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 EC$1,964

$474 MX$8,314

53.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 EC$4,437

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-0.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 EC$4,034

$1,211 MX$21.2K

23.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,385 EC$3,740

$654 MX$11.5K

111.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

11.42

-51.84%

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

Last update for Saint John's: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,091 in Saint John's versus $947 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 112% higher in Saint John's, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Saint John's versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen 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

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

Yes – Saint John's is pricier by about 34%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,528 per month in Saint John's and $1,884 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Saint John's, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Saint John's and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Saint John's at $1,685. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John's 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.

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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint John's makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.