Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Maur-des-Fossés and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,941 in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
🇫🇷 France
$1,941
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,941 per month in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Saint-Maur-des-Fossés $1,941
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,026 per month in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Saint-Maur-des-Fossés $3,026
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $4,112 per month in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Saint-Maur-des-Fossés $4,112
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Saint-Maur-des-Fossés costs about 61% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Saint-Maur-des-Fossés sits 43% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.14 €16.14
$10.86 MX$201
67.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.1 €68.6
$44.21 MX$817
74.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.19 €11.73
$11.76 MX$217
12.16%
Cappuccino
$4.98 €4.43
$3.68 MX$68.0
35.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.63 €4.12
$1.34 MX$24.79
245.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 €2.41
$0.82 MX$15.24
230.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.91 €7.04
$3.06 MX$56.6
158.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.67 €5.93
$4.94 MX$91.2
35.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 €1.35
$1.47 MX$27.17
3.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.46 €2.19
$2.22 MX$40.95
10.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.75 €2.45
$1.48 MX$27.32
85.81%
Eggs
$4.37 €3.89
$2.49 MX$45.99
75.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.13 €19.69
$7.52 MX$139
194.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.54 €12.05
$7.96 MX$147
70.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.15 €19.70
$12.57 MX$232
76.21%
Apples (1kg)
$3.26 €2.90
$2.78 MX$51.3
17.27%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 €1.96
$1.43 MX$26.37
54.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.98 €2.65
$2.62 MX$48.37
13.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.28 €3.80
$2.14 MX$39.49
100.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.02 MX$37.38
-9.90%
Onion (1kg)
$2.44 €2.17
$1.99 MX$36.74
22.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.80 €1.60
$1.14 MX$21.01
57.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.83
$1.20 MX$22.18
-21.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.56 €12.95
$4.26 MX$78.7
241.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.79 €7.82
$10.02 MX$185
-12.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.61 €2.32
$1.54 MX$28.41
69.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 €3.12
$2.66 MX$49.17
31.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.92 €1.70
$0.53 MX$9.73
262.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.98 €41.79
$27.51 MX$508
70.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.17 €8.15
$4.90 MX$90.6
87.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 €1.27
$3.43 MX$63.5
-58.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.83 €40.76
$5.38 MX$99.4
751.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.45 MX$26.76
57.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K €31.1K
$21.2K MX$391.0K
65.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.8K €31.8K
$23.0K MX$425.3K
55.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$242 €215
$85.4 MX$1,577
183.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.68 €13.95
$23.46 MX$434
-33.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.40 €26.15
$28.43 MX$525
3.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.11 €31.23
$62.2 MX$1,149
-43.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.68 MX$530
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.43 €12.84
$5.10 MX$94.3
182.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,773 €1,577
$201 MX$3,715
781.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.1K €8,958
$3,947 MX$72.9K
155.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 €96.0
$44.39 MX$820
143.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 €46.26
$41.35 MX$764
25.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 €105
$72.7 MX$1,344
61.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$160 €142
$89.6 MX$1,656
78.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$750 €667
$979 MX$18.1K
-23.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$597 €531
$373 MX$6,887
60.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,358 €1,208
$1,681 MX$31.1K
-19.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,130 €1,005
$1,095 MX$20.2K
3.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,883 €3,454
$3,949 MX$73.0K
-1.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,009 €2,676
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-50.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$738 MX$13.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
11.45
-70.31%

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

Last update for Saint-Maur-des-Fossés: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
$597
Playa del Carmen
$373 37.6% $224
Groceries & Markets
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
$398
Playa del Carmen
$258 35.1% $140
Eating Out
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
$327
Playa del Carmen
$200 38.7% $127
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
$287
Playa del Carmen
$137 52.1% $150
Clothing & Footwear
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
$197
Playa del Carmen
$112 43.3% $85
Getting Around
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
$71
Playa del Carmen
$52 27.1% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
$64
Playa del Carmen
$72 13.2% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $750 in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés 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 $77.0 in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
06:50 6:50 AM
23:50 11:50 PM
7 h behind Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
75,441
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saint-Maur-des-Fossés Playa del Carmen 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
  • 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-Maur-des-Fossés vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Saint-Maur-des-Fossés?
Yes – Saint-Maur-des-Fossés is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,911 per month in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés and $1,806 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,941 in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 61%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 71% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés at $1,941. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Saint-Maur-des-Fossés or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés or Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Saint-Maur-des-Fossés vs other spots: cost of living compared

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