Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Louis: $837 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Saint-Louis
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Saint-Louis Living Index
59

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

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Saint-Louis

🇸🇳 Senegal

$837

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $837 per month in Saint-Louis vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint-Louis $837
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,315 per month in Saint-Louis vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint-Louis $1,315
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,792 per month in Saint-Louis vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint-Louis $1,792
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Saint-Louis is about 30% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Saint-Louis and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Saint-Louis 38% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 F CFA 2,009

$10.86 MX$201

-68.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 F CFA 31.1K

$44.21 MX$817

20.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 F CFA 6,484

$11.76 MX$217

-5.44%

Cappuccino

$3.34 F CFA 1,950

$3.68 MX$68.0

-9.24%

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

$1.24 F CFA 725

$1.34 MX$24.79

-7.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 F CFA 529

$0.82 MX$15.24

10.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 F CFA 982

$3.06 MX$56.6

-45.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 F CFA 2,545

$4.94 MX$91.2

-11.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.59 F CFA 1,509

$1.47 MX$27.17

76.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.27 F CFA 158

$2.22 MX$40.95

-87.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 F CFA 963

$1.48 MX$27.32

11.49%

Eggs

$2.40 F CFA 1,399

$2.49 MX$45.99

-3.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.50 F CFA 10.2K

$7.52 MX$139

132.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 F CFA 5,315

$7.96 MX$147

14.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 F CFA 6,378

$12.57 MX$232

-12.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 F CFA 1,888

$2.78 MX$51.3

16.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 F CFA 1,079

$1.43 MX$26.37

29.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 F CFA 1,729

$2.62 MX$48.37

13.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 F CFA 1,042

$2.14 MX$39.49

-16.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 F CFA 791

$2.02 MX$37.38

-32.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 F CFA 535

$1.99 MX$36.74

-53.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 F CFA 636

$1.14 MX$21.01

-4.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 F CFA 397

$1.20 MX$22.18

-43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 F CFA 1,272

$4.26 MX$78.7

-48.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.00 F CFA 9,911

$10.02 MX$185

69.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 F CFA 891

$1.54 MX$28.41

-0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 F CFA 1,942

$2.66 MX$49.17

25.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 F CFA 502

$4.90 MX$90.6

-82.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 F CFA 1,279

$3.43 MX$63.5

-36.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 F CFA 9,899

$5.38 MX$99.4

215.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 F CFA 939

$1.45 MX$26.76

11.03%

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

$50.3K F CFA 29.3M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

137.78%

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

$47.3K F CFA 27.6M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

105.67%

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

$204 F CFA 118.8K

$85.4 MX$1,577

138.72%

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

$11.80 F CFA 6,883

$23.46 MX$434

-49.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.79 F CFA 26.7K

$28.43 MX$525

61.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$8.37 F CFA 4,882

$5.10 MX$94.3

64.12%

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

$326 F CFA 189.9K

$201 MX$3,715

61.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K F CFA 6.0M

$3,947 MX$72.9K

158.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 F CFA 34.5K

$44.39 MX$820

33.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.50 F CFA 27.1K

$41.35 MX$764

12.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 F CFA 49.3K

$72.7 MX$1,344

16.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 F CFA 57.6K

$89.6 MX$1,656

10.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 F CFA 252.2K

$979 MX$18.1K

-55.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

11.45

-23.58%

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

Last update for Saint-Louis: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Saint-Louis

$290 34.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 11.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint-Louis

$261 31.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 47.5% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Saint-Louis

$130 15.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 14.1% $18

Eating Out

Saint-Louis

$127 15.1%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 57.9% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Saint-Louis

$17 * 2%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 333% $56

Getting Around

Saint-Louis

$12 * 1.4%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 337% $40

Accommodation & Living

Saint-Louis

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $433 in Saint-Louis versus $979 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 $53.0 in Saint-Louis versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇳 Saint-Louis

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

06:41 6:41 AM

5 h behind Saint-Louis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,000

149,923

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint-Louis Playa del Carmen 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,256 per month in Saint-Louis and $1,806 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 Saint-Louis, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $837 in Saint-Louis and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 44%.

Kindergarten costs $326 per month in Saint-Louis and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint-Louis, where all-in costs run around $837, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Saint-Louis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saint-Louis – 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 Saint-Louis. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.