Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salto and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,332 in Salto, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Salto outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

64

Cost of Living Index in Salto
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Salto Living Index
60

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

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Salto

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,332

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,332 per month in Salto vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Salto $1,332
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $1,921 per month in Salto vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Salto $1,921
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $2,510 per month in Salto vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Salto $2,510
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Salto costs about 10% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Salto and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Salto 1% lower, Playa del Carmen 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.98 UYU 643

$10.97 MX$201

45.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.19 UYU 1,495

$44.85 MX$823

-17.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 UYU 477

$11.92 MX$219

-0.50%

Cappuccino

$3.26 UYU 131

$3.80 MX$69.9

-14.21%

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

$2.21 UYU 89.0

$1.31 MX$24.08

68.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 UYU 63.1

$0.86 MX$15.72

82.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.57 UYU 184

$3.21 MX$59.0

42.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 UYU 124

$5.01 MX$92.0

-38.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 UYU 56.2

$1.46 MX$26.77

-4.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 UYU 85.1

$2.33 MX$42.72

-9.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 UYU 60.3

$1.44 MX$26.48

4.17%

Eggs

$5.34 UYU 215

$2.46 MX$45.20

117.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 UYU 605

$7.70 MX$141

95.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 UYU 351

$7.89 MX$145

10.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 UYU 397

$12.80 MX$235

-22.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 UYU 51.0

$2.92 MX$53.6

-56.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 UYU 86.7

$1.42 MX$26.11

52.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 UYU 49.93

$2.57 MX$47.10

-51.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 UYU 74.8

$2.14 MX$39.24

-13.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 UYU 36.05

$1.95 MX$35.75

-53.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 UYU 66.8

$1.94 MX$35.55

-14.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 UYU 35.78

$1.15 MX$21.13

-22.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 UYU 61.4

$1.22 MX$22.42

25.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 UYU 213

$4.38 MX$80.3

20.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 UYU 303

$9.85 MX$181

-23.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 UYU 76.9

$1.54 MX$28.23

24.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 UYU 105

$2.72 MX$49.86

-4.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 UYU 23.98

$0.52 MX$9.64

15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.75 UYU 1,196

$27.42 MX$503

8.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.61 UYU 145

$3.52 MX$64.7

2.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 UYU 78.3

$1.54 MX$28.27

26.62%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

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

$200 UYU 8,032

$83.6 MX$1,535

138.92%

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

$21.70 UYU 872

$24.03 MX$441

-9.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.62 UYU 1,191

$29.33 MX$539

0.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.74 UYU 1,478

$64.9 MX$1,191

-43.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 UYU 501

$29.46 MX$541

-57.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 UYU 399

$5.09 MX$93.4

95.09%

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

$208 MX$3,813

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,463 UYU 179.4K

$4,045 MX$74.3K

10.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 UYU 3,437

$44.55 MX$818

91.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 UYU 2,247

$42.06 MX$772

32.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 UYU 4,576

$75.5 MX$1,387

50.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.1 UYU 2,697

$91.4 MX$1,678

-26.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 UYU 17.6K

$986 MX$18.1K

-55.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 UYU 12.1K

$385 MX$7,072

-22.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$749 UYU 30.1K

$1,713 MX$31.5K

-56.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 UYU 16.8K

$1,108 MX$20.4K

-62.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 UYU 25.3K

$758 MX$13.9K

-17.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Salto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salto

$300 22.7%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 28.3% $85

Groceries & Markets

Salto

$272 20.6%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 4.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salto

$251 19%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 45.4% $114

Eating Out

Salto

$247 18.7%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 17.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Salto

$145 11%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 21.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Salto

$57 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 32.6% $18

Getting Around

Salto

$50 * 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 3.7% $1.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $438 in Salto versus $986 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 run about 21% higher in Playa del Carmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Salto versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Salto vs $260 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Salto

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

02:55 2:55 AM

2 h behind Salto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

104,028

149,923

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Salto Playa del Carmen 6,570 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Salto
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

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

Yes – Salto is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,998 per month in Salto and $1,823 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 $1,332 in Salto and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 10%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Salto and $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Salto at $1,332. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salto 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, Salto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.