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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,370 per month in San Juan vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,131 per month in San Juan vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,893 per month in San Juan vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Juan costs about 8% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

San Juan sits 2% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.47 TTD 50.5

$11.87 MX$204

-37.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 TTD 405

$42.90 MX$736

39.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 TTD 51.3

$10.65 MX$183

-28.83%

Cappuccino

$3.76 TTD 25.43

$3.45 MX$59.2

8.99%

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

$1.09 TTD 7.39

$1.50 MX$25.81

-27.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 TTD 5.25

$0.95 MX$16.28

-17.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 TTD 12.82

$3.03 MX$51.9

-37.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 TTD 19.46

$4.61 MX$79.1

-37.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 TTD 18.50

$1.38 MX$23.61

98.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 TTD 18.26

$1.85 MX$31.70

45.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 TTD 18.16

$1.61 MX$27.65

67.08%

Eggs

$4.99 TTD 33.75

$2.59 MX$44.51

92.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 TTD 53.5

$8.26 MX$142

-4.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 TTD 71.6

$8.37 MX$144

26.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 TTD 98.3

$10.66 MX$183

36.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 TTD 40.51

$2.63 MX$45.12

127.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 TTD 17.59

$1.49 MX$25.53

74.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 TTD 28.37

$1.92 MX$32.94

118.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 TTD 32.49

$2.09 MX$35.81

129.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 TTD 10.15

$1.86 MX$31.88

-19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 TTD 11.22

$2.26 MX$38.81

-26.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 TTD 13.28

$1.06 MX$18.23

84.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 TTD 9.57

$1.09 MX$18.67

30.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 TTD 40.57

$4.15 MX$71.2

44.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 TTD 125

$10.39 MX$178

77.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 TTD 14.92

$1.72 MX$29.59

28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 TTD 19.19

$2.61 MX$44.85

8.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TTD 7.12

$3.13 MX$53.7

-66.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 TTD 8.57

$2.51 MX$43.09

-49.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.67 TTD 99.2

$3.15 MX$54.1

365.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 TTD 7.78

$1.27 MX$21.88

-9.45%

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

$34.6K TTD 233.6K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

13.76%

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

$38.9K TTD 262.9K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

65.02%

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

$79.4 TTD 537

$83.0 MX$1,425

-4.30%

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

$45.97 TTD 311

$22.71 MX$390

102.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 TTD 420

$29.46 MX$506

110.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 TTD 66.6

$4.93 MX$84.5

100.00%

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

$323 TTD 2,181

$197 MX$3,386

63.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,203 TTD 48.7K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

36.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 TTD 394

$36.90 MX$633

57.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.72 TTD 255

$39.89 MX$685

-5.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 TTD 992

$80.0 MX$1,373

83.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 TTD 866

$89.5 MX$1,536

43.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 TTD 5,012

$956 MX$16.4K

-22.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 TTD 3,013

$477 MX$8,189

-6.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 TTD 6,985

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-37.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 TTD 5,075

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-38.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

11.42

-52.89%

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

Last update for San Juan: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $741 in San Juan versus $956 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 $60.0 in San Juan versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $250 – 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

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

Yes – San Juan is pricier by about 8%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,055 per month in San Juan and $1,906 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 $1,370 in San Juan and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $323 per month in San Juan and $197 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in San Juan at $1,370. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan 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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Juan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.