Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Louis, MO and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,351 in Saint Louis, MO, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Saint Louis, MO
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Saint Louis, MO 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 Louis, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,351

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,351 per month in Saint Louis, MO vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint Louis, MO $2,351
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $3,539 per month in Saint Louis, MO vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint Louis, MO $3,539
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,726 per month in Saint Louis, MO vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint Louis, MO $4,726
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Saint Louis, MO costs about 96% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Saint Louis, MO sits 74% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 $17.69

$10.67 MX$200

65.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 $77.3

$43.80 MX$819

76.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$11.79 MX$220

0.25%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$3.79 MX$70.8

32.72%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$1.30 MX$24.26

80.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.83 MX$15.59

109.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 $5.65

$3.15 MX$58.9

79.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 $7.01

$4.93 MX$92.3

42.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.41 MX$26.35

-7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.20 MX$41.07

79.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$1.47 MX$27.54

301.36%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$2.50 MX$46.70

60.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 $13.70

$7.29 MX$136

87.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.37 $15.37

$7.95 MX$149

93.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$12.86 MX$241

57.47%

Apples (1kg)

$8.15 $8.15

$2.90 MX$54.2

181.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.38 MX$25.87

65.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$2.49 MX$46.59

126.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.03 MX$37.97

153.20%

Potato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.02 MX$37.88

114.36%

Onion (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.90 MX$35.60

161.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.14 MX$21.41

148.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.24 MX$23.17

134.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 $7.85

$4.27 MX$79.9

83.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$9.81 MX$184

50.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.59 MX$29.66

76.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.75 MX$51.3

21.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 $2.57

$0.51 MX$9.63

403.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 $77.2

$27.39 MX$512

181.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.76 MX$89.1

-27.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.25 MX$60.8

-53.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.82 $39.82

$5.39 MX$101

638.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.53 MX$28.58

-33.99%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$21.2K MX$396.8K

38.24%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$23.3K MX$435.1K

14.33%

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

$246 $246

$83.5 MX$1,562

194.83%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$23.19 MX$434

194.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.4 $75.4

$27.61 MX$516

173.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 $29.69

$56.4 MX$1,056

-47.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.65 $19.65

$28.19 MX$527

-30.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 $13.73

$5.00 MX$93.5

174.60%

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

$1,396 $1,396

$207 MX$3,873

574.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K $28.4K

$5,231 MX$97.8K

442.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$43.45 MX$813

34.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 $39.65

$42.54 MX$796

-6.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 $88.9

$72.8 MX$1,361

22.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$88.4 MX$1,653

35.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 $1,456

$995 MX$18.6K

46.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$879 $879

$382 MX$7,152

129.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,831 $1,831

$1,674 MX$31.3K

9.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,507 $1,507

$1,081 MX$20.2K

39.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 $1,621

$3,909 MX$73.1K

-58.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,815 $1,815

$6,138 MX$114.8K

-70.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,333 $4,333

$832 MX$15.6K

420.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

11.45

-41.31%

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

Last update for Saint Louis, MO: 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 Louis, MO

$879 37.4%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 56.5% $497

Groceries & Markets

Saint Louis, MO

$493 21%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 47.8% $236

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Louis, MO

$390 16.6%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 65.6% $256

Eating Out

Saint Louis, MO

$296 12.6%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 32.3% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Louis, MO

$138 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 19.4% $27

Getting Around

Saint Louis, MO

$98 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 48.8% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Louis, MO

$57 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 16.3% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,456 in Saint Louis, MO 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 Louis, MO are about 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Saint Louis, MO versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $493 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Louis, MO

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:21 11:21 AM

12:21 12:21 PM

1 h ahead of Saint Louis, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

301,578

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Saint Louis, MO Playa del Carmen 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint Louis, MO
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 Louis, MO vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint Louis, MO is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,527 per month in Saint Louis, MO 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 $1,456 in Saint Louis, MO.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,351 in Saint Louis, MO and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 49% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 65% 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 Louis, MO at $2,351. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Louis, MO 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.

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