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 $1,332 per month in San Juan vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,095 per month in San Juan vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,859 per month in San Juan vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Juan costs about 4% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both San Juan and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – San Juan 1% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.42 TTD 50.4

$11.94 MX$208

-37.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.5 TTD 404

$42.75 MX$744

39.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 TTD 49.49

$10.59 MX$184

-31.16%

Cappuccino

$3.72 TTD 25.29

$3.62 MX$63.0

2.76%

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

$1.10 TTD 7.46

$1.47 MX$25.54

-25.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 TTD 4.80

$0.94 MX$16.41

-24.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 TTD 12.75

$3.09 MX$53.8

-39.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 TTD 20.32

$4.46 MX$77.6

-32.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 TTD 17.95

$1.43 MX$24.80

84.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 TTD 18.56

$1.88 MX$32.79

45.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 TTD 17.58

$1.63 MX$28.34

58.90%

Eggs

$4.89 TTD 33.22

$2.64 MX$45.99

85.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 TTD 55.4

$8.21 MX$143

-0.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 TTD 71.2

$8.29 MX$144

26.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 TTD 96.9

$11.10 MX$193

28.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.75 TTD 39.05

$2.65 MX$46.14

116.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 TTD 17.07

$1.50 MX$26.11

67.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 TTD 28.84

$1.99 MX$34.59

113.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 TTD 32.74

$2.08 MX$36.13

131.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 TTD 10.13

$1.79 MX$31.11

-16.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 TTD 11.14

$2.18 MX$37.87

-24.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 TTD 13.21

$1.08 MX$18.73

80.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 TTD 9.98

$1.04 MX$18.04

41.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 TTD 41.30

$3.97 MX$69.1

53.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.36 TTD 131

$10.20 MX$178

89.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 TTD 14.85

$1.73 MX$30.04

26.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 TTD 18.65

$2.50 MX$43.46

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 TTD 6.80

$3.14 MX$54.7

-68.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 TTD 8.36

$2.40 MX$41.80

-48.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.72 TTD 99.9

$3.09 MX$53.7

376.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 TTD 7.41

$1.27 MX$22.16

-14.17%

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

$33.4K TTD 226.5K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

8.04%

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

$38.2K TTD 259.2K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

63.71%

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

$79.8 TTD 542

$82.0 MX$1,427

-2.68%

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

$46.97 TTD 319

$22.45 MX$391

109.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 TTD 426

$29.66 MX$516

111.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 TTD 67.7

$4.97 MX$86.5

100.60%

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

$323 TTD 2,191

$198 MX$3,442

63.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,306 TTD 49.6K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

38.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 TTD 401

$36.34 MX$632

62.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 TTD 258

$40.05 MX$697

-5.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 TTD 989

$79.9 MX$1,390

82.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 TTD 876

$88.9 MX$1,547

45.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 TTD 5,119

$963 MX$16.8K

-21.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 TTD 3,042

$465 MX$8,086

-3.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 TTD 7,134

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-34.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 TTD 5,112

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-37.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $754 in San Juan versus $963 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: $377 vs $251 – 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 4%, 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 $1,998 per month in San Juan and $1,930 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 San Juan and $1,287 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 $198 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 $1,287, than in San Juan at $1,332. 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.