Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Antonio and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in San Antonio: $607 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Antonio, Paraguay
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
San Antonio
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$607
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $607 per month in San Antonio vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • San Antonio $607
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,032 per month in San Antonio vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • San Antonio $1,032
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,458 per month in San Antonio vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • San Antonio $1,458
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

San Antonio is about 50% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Antonio and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – San Antonio 55% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Antonio
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.80 ₲40.6K
$10.92 MX$205
-37.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.91 ₲261.9K
$43.37 MX$814
1.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.77 ₲40.4K
$11.78 MX$221
-42.53%
Cappuccino
$3.52 ₲21.0K
$3.81 MX$71.5
-7.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₲6,459
$1.28 MX$24.07
-15.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.60 ₲3,595
$0.78 MX$14.70
-23.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.04 ₲12.2K
$3.17 MX$59.5
-35.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 ₲10.7K
$4.93 MX$92.7
-63.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Antonio
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 ₲7,813
$1.41 MX$26.40
-7.09%
White Bread (500g)
$1.51 ₲9,036
$2.22 MX$41.62
-31.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.32 ₲7,853
$1.42 MX$26.61
-7.04%
Eggs
$2.39 ₲14.2K
$2.52 MX$47.36
-5.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.94 ₲59.3K
$7.26 MX$136
36.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.27 ₲31.4K
$7.70 MX$144
-31.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.22 ₲61.0K
$12.69 MX$238
-19.46%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 ₲17.8K
$2.78 MX$52.3
7.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.32 ₲7,846
$1.37 MX$25.68
-3.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.17 ₲7,002
$2.55 MX$47.89
-54.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.41 ₲14.4K
$2.12 MX$39.86
13.68%
Potato (1kg)
$1.35 ₲8,060
$1.94 MX$36.39
-30.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.30 ₲7,725
$1.89 MX$35.41
-31.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.88 ₲5,240
$1.15 MX$21.53
-23.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 ₲4,627
$1.18 MX$22.13
-33.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.41 ₲14.4K
$4.30 MX$80.6
-43.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.28 ₲55.3K
$9.95 MX$187
-6.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 ₲8,177
$1.58 MX$29.73
-13.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₲10.6K
$2.67 MX$50.1
-33.71%
🚌 Getting Around
San Antonio
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.55 MX$10.39
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$500
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.52 ₲9,072
$4.97 MX$93.3
-69.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 ₲9,059
$3.33 MX$62.5
-54.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.39 ₲62.0K
$5.36 MX$101
93.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 ₲7,568
$1.44 MX$27.11
-11.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.1K ₲101.7M
$20.7K MX$388.0K
-17.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.5K ₲181.8M
$23.5K MX$440.5K
29.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Antonio
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$50.7 ₲302.3K
$84.8 MX$1,592
-40.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.70 ₲105.6K
$23.41 MX$439
-24.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.10 ₲131.8K
$28.66 MX$538
-22.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Antonio
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.1 MX$1,071
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$543
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.92 ₲53.2K
$5.14 MX$96.5
73.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Antonio
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$184 ₲1.1M
$207 MX$3,878
-10.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,737 ₲34.2M
$3,927 MX$73.7K
46.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Antonio
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.0 ₲387.9K
$43.35 MX$814
50.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 ₲334.9K
$41.44 MX$778
35.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 ₲627.7K
$74.2 MX$1,393
41.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.2 ₲424.6K
$89.3 MX$1,676
-20.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Antonio
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$980 MX$18.4K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$381 MX$7,150
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Antonio
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.5
11.45
-8.30%

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

Last update for San Antonio: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
San Antonio
$218
Playa del Carmen
$255 16.9% $37
Eating Out
San Antonio
$138
Playa del Carmen
$202 47.1% $65
Clothing & Footwear
San Antonio
$134
Playa del Carmen
$112 16.6% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Antonio
$90
Playa del Carmen
$137 51.3% $46
Sport & Entertainment
San Antonio
$18 *
Playa del Carmen
$67 277% $49
Getting Around
San Antonio
$9.1 *
Playa del Carmen
$50 454% $41
Accommodation & Living
San Antonio
- *
Playa del Carmen
$381

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in San Antonio versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $218 in San Antonio vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so San Antonio wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇾 San Antonio
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
18:22 6:22 PM
16:22 4:22 PM
2 h behind San Antonio
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
68,127
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 5,965 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD). 1 EUR = 6,660 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Antonio Playa del Carmen 6,030 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Antonio
  • 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
San Antonio vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Antonio cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $910 per month in San Antonio and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do food prices compare in San Antonio and in Playa del Carmen?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $184 per month in San Antonio and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in San Antonio or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Antonio, where all-in costs run around $607, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In San Antonio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in San Antonio or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $607 in San Antonio to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

San Antonio vs other spots: cost of living compared

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