Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan del Sur and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan del Sur: $1,058 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in San Juan del Sur
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San Juan del Sur Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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San Juan del Sur

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$1,058

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,058 per month in San Juan del Sur vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Juan del Sur $1,058
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,682 per month in San Juan del Sur vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Juan del Sur $1,682
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $2,307 per month in San Juan del Sur vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Juan del Sur $2,307
Playa del Carmen $3,016

San Juan del Sur is about 13% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Juan del Sur and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – San Juan del Sur 22% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.17 NIO 153

$10.76 MX$199

-61.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.08 NIO 1,248

$43.03 MX$795

-20.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 NIO 204

$11.79 MX$218

-52.76%

Cappuccino

$2.56 NIO 93.7

$3.87 MX$71.4

-33.85%

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

$0.86 NIO 31.37

$1.37 MX$25.29

-37.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 NIO 25.02

$0.84 MX$15.44

-19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 NIO 53.8

$3.10 MX$57.3

-52.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 NIO 81.8

$5.07 MX$93.6

-56.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 NIO 45.36

$1.44 MX$26.55

-13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 NIO 55.9

$2.23 MX$41.23

-31.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 NIO 43.56

$1.47 MX$27.17

-19.05%

Eggs

$2.44 NIO 89.2

$2.53 MX$46.71

-3.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.71 NIO 283

$7.30 MX$135

5.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.15 NIO 225

$7.86 MX$145

-21.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.84 NIO 287

$12.79 MX$236

-38.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 NIO 150

$2.90 MX$53.6

41.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 NIO 22.71

$1.44 MX$26.53

-56.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 NIO 67.3

$2.55 MX$47.07

-27.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 NIO 89.9

$2.06 MX$38.03

18.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 NIO 114

$2.00 MX$36.97

55.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 NIO 79.9

$2.01 MX$37.07

8.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 NIO 38.54

$1.19 MX$22.02

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 NIO 38.52

$1.26 MX$23.23

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 NIO 101

$4.40 MX$81.4

-37.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.76 NIO 357

$9.59 MX$177

1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 NIO 51.9

$1.59 MX$29.41

-10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NIO 79.7

$2.81 MX$51.9

-22.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 NIO 58.0

$4.98 MX$92.1

-68.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 NIO 60.3

$3.50 MX$64.6

-53.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 NIO 252

$5.40 MX$99.8

27.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 NIO 49.13

$1.47 MX$27.08

-8.84%

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

$22.8K NIO 836.8K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

8.87%

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

$26.7K NIO 977.1K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

11.60%

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

$60.8 NIO 2,225

$84.2 MX$1,556

-27.85%

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

$10.32 NIO 378

$23.99 MX$443

-56.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.01 NIO 1,209

$29.02 MX$536

13.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.51 NIO 1,118

$63.0 MX$1,164

-51.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$9.23 NIO 338

$4.94 MX$91.3

86.84%

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

$233 NIO 8,530

$204 MX$3,763

14.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,128 NIO 224.4K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

55.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 NIO 2,237

$43.60 MX$806

40.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.1 NIO 2,421

$43.12 MX$797

53.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NIO 4,500

$75.8 MX$1,400

62.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 NIO 5,331

$88.6 MX$1,637

64.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 NIO 15.5K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-58.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 NIO 14.4K

$374 MX$6,911

5.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 NIO 34.1K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-45.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$797 NIO 29.2K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-27.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 NIO 12.7K

$754 MX$13.9K

-54.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.92

11.45

4.10%

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

Last update for San Juan del Sur: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan del Sur

$393 37.2%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 4.9% $19

Groceries & Markets

San Juan del Sur

$225 21.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 14.9% $34

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan del Sur

$178 16.8%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 36.5% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan del Sur

$104 9.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 31.8% $33

Eating Out

San Juan del Sur

$99 9.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 105% $104

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan del Sur

$49 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 48.8% $24

Getting Around

San Juan del Sur

$9.8 * 0.9%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 436% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in San Juan del Sur versus $1,008 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 118% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in San Juan del Sur versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $258 – making San Juan del Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇮 San Juan del Sur

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

17:36 5:36 PM

1 h ahead of San Juan del Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,741

149,923

💱 Currency

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.43 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NIO – Nicaraguan Córdoba Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇮 Nicaraguan Córdoba (C$)

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.17 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to NIO in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Juan del Sur Playa del Carmen 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Juan del Sur
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 Juan del Sur vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,586 per month in San Juan del Sur and $1,816 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 San Juan del Sur, 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 $1,058 in San Juan del Sur and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 14%.

Kindergarten costs $233 per month in San Juan del Sur and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan del Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,058, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In San Juan del Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Juan del Sur – 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 San Juan del Sur. 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.