Cost of Living Comparison Between Saintes and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Saintes and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,778 per month in Saintes vs $1,239 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,778 per month in Saintes vs $2,168 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,777 per month in Saintes vs $3,096 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saintes costs about 43% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Saintes sits 32% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.31 €18.93

$11.17 MX$203

90.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €61.0

$44.61 MX$810

54.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 €6.21

$11.91 MX$216

-41.31%

Cappuccino

$3.89 €3.46

$3.81 MX$69.3

2.10%

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

$2.89 €2.57

$1.38 MX$24.97

109.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.21

$0.80 MX$14.46

70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.46 €6.63

$3.12 MX$56.6

139.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €4.09

$4.97 MX$90.2

-7.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.51 MX$27.42

-27.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 €1.63

$2.25 MX$40.77

-18.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 €1.81

$1.51 MX$27.35

35.10%

Eggs

$2.28 €2.03

$2.46 MX$44.73

-7.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.03 €21.35

$7.50 MX$136

220.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.05 €9.82

$8.07 MX$146

36.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.90

$13.08 MX$238

36.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 €3.32

$2.83 MX$51.5

32.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.70 €3.28

$1.47 MX$26.78

151.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.69 MX$48.90

-24.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 €4.38

$2.08 MX$37.75

137.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 €0.68

$1.96 MX$35.52

-60.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 €1.09

$2.01 MX$36.51

-39.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.21 MX$21.97

38.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 €0.35

$1.23 MX$22.34

-68.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.40 €12.79

$4.46 MX$81.0

222.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 €7.94

$9.98 MX$181

-10.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.09

$1.63 MX$29.62

44.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.24

$2.80 MX$50.8

-9.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 €1.90

$0.58 MX$10.50

268.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.82 €38.04

$28.28 MX$514

51.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.80 €4.26

$4.85 MX$88.1

-1.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 €1.64

$3.50 MX$63.5

-47.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.89 €30.10

$5.65 MX$103

499.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.46 MX$26.43

37.67%

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

$37.4K €33.3K

$21.4K MX$388.4K

74.98%

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

$32.7K €29.0K

$24.0K MX$435.6K

36.28%

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

$136 €121

$86.3 MX$1,568

57.66%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$23.96 MX$435

-52.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.04 €30.24

$28.93 MX$525

17.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.83 €32.72

$64.6 MX$1,174

-43.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.07 MX$528

Cinema Ticket

$10.38 €9.22

$5.13 MX$93.1

102.34%

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

$709 €630

$211 MX$3,838

235.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,423 €8,371

$4,045 MX$73.4K

132.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €98.8

$44.23 MX$803

151.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.51 €35.98

$43.35 MX$787

-6.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.4

$76.9 MX$1,396

44.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €135

$88.4 MX$1,605

71.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 €696

$996 MX$18.1K

-21.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 €471

$379 MX$6,874

40.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 €1,226

$1,767 MX$32.1K

-21.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €1,010

$1,127 MX$20.5K

0.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,952 €3,510

$4,010 MX$72.8K

-1.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,835 €2,518

$6,392 MX$116.1K

-55.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$768 MX$14.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.45

-66.90%

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

Last update for Saintes: September 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Saintes versus $996 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 $69.0 in Saintes versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $263 – 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

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

Yes – Saintes is pricier by about 43%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,667 per month in Saintes and $1,859 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,778 in Saintes and $1,239 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 51% 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 $1,239, than in Saintes at $1,778. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saintes 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, Saintes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.