Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Leu and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,502 in Saint-Leu, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Saint-Leu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Saint-Leu, Reunion
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Saint-Leu
🇷🇪 Reunion
$1,502
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,502 per month in Saint-Leu vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Saint-Leu $1,502
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $2,353 per month in Saint-Leu vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Saint-Leu $2,353
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,204 per month in Saint-Leu vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Saint-Leu $3,204
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Saint-Leu costs about 25% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saint-Leu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.82 €24.71
$10.67 MX$199
160.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.9 €79.0
$43.80 MX$815
102.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$11.79 MX$219
-
Cappuccino
$2.87 €2.55
$3.79 MX$70.5
-24.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.30 MX$24.14
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 €0.97
$0.83 MX$15.51
32.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.60 €6.75
$3.15 MX$58.6
141.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.49 €4.88
$4.93 MX$91.8
11.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saint-Leu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.41 MX$26.22
-18.44%
White Bread (500g)
$1.24 €1.10
$2.20 MX$40.86
-43.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.22 €1.97
$1.47 MX$27.40
51.02%
Eggs
$4.44 €3.95
$2.50 MX$46.47
77.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.35 €19.85
$7.29 MX$136
206.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$7.95 MX$148
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$12.86 MX$239
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.41 €3.03
$2.90 MX$53.9
17.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 €1.47
$1.38 MX$25.74
20.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$2.49 MX$46.36
-12.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.28 €2.92
$2.03 MX$37.78
61.58%
Potato (1kg)
$2.28 €2.02
$2.02 MX$37.69
12.87%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 €2.03
$1.90 MX$35.42
20.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.14 MX$21.30
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.24 MX$23.06
-33.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.58 €12.95
$4.27 MX$79.5
241.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.60 €4.98
$9.81 MX$183
-42.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.67 €1.48
$1.59 MX$29.51
5.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.75 MX$51.1
-
🚌 Getting Around
Saint-Leu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.51 MX$9.58
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.39 MX$510
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$4.76 MX$88.6
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$3.25 MX$60.5
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.39 MX$100
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.95 €1.74
$1.53 MX$28.44
27.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$21.2K MX$394.8K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$23.3K MX$432.9K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint-Leu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.9 €85.2
$83.5 MX$1,554
14.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.02 €8.90
$23.19 MX$431
-56.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.31 €29.59
$27.61 MX$514
20.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saint-Leu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.67 €29.91
$56.4 MX$1,050
-40.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.19 MX$525
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.23 €9.09
$5.00 MX$93.1
104.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saint-Leu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$207 MX$3,854
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$5,231 MX$97.4K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saint-Leu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$43.45 MX$809
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$42.54 MX$792
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$72.8 MX$1,354
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$88.4 MX$1,645
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saint-Leu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,115 €990
$995 MX$18.5K
12.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$788 €700
$382 MX$7,116
105.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,049 €1,820
$1,674 MX$31.2K
22.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,353 €1,202
$1,081 MX$20.1K
25.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,909 MX$72.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,138 MX$114.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saint-Leu
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,995 €1,772
$832 MX$15.5K
139.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4
11.45
-65.07%

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

Last update for Saint-Leu: 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-Leu
–
Playa del Carmen
$382
Groceries & Markets
Saint-Leu
–
Playa del Carmen
$257
Eating Out
Saint-Leu
–
Playa del Carmen
$200
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint-Leu
–
Playa del Carmen
$134
Clothing & Footwear
Saint-Leu
–
Playa del Carmen
$111
Sport & Entertainment
Saint-Leu
–
Playa del Carmen
$66
Getting Around
Saint-Leu
–
Playa del Carmen
$50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,115 in Saint-Leu 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.

Salaries in Saint-Leu are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Saint-Leu versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $211 in Saint-Leu vs $257 in Playa del Carmen – so Saint-Leu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇷🇪 Saint-Leu
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
04:57 4:57 AM
19:57 7:57 PM
9 h behind Saint-Leu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
34,893
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saint-Leu Playa del Carmen 16,110 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Saint-Leu
  • 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-Leu vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Saint-Leu?
Yes – Saint-Leu is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,253 per month in Saint-Leu and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,115 in Saint-Leu.
How do food prices compare in Saint-Leu and in Playa del Carmen?
Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Saint-Leu – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is eating out cheaper in Saint-Leu or in Playa del Carmen?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Saint-Leu and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Saint-Leu or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Saint-Leu at $1,502. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint-Leu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Saint-Leu or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,502 in Saint-Leu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint-Leu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Saint-Leu vs other spots: cost of living compared

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