Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Martin de los Andes and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,264 in San Martin de los Andes, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. The total is higher in San Martin de los Andes despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in San Martin de los Andes
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San Martin de los Andes Living Index
58

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

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San Martin de los Andes

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,264

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,264 per month in San Martin de los Andes vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Martin de los Andes $1,264
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,136 per month in San Martin de los Andes vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Martin de los Andes $2,136
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,007 per month in San Martin de los Andes vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Martin de los Andes $3,007
Playa del Carmen $2,959

San Martin de los Andes costs about 5% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both San Martin de los Andes and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – San Martin de los Andes 7% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.03 ARS 27.7K

$10.92 MX$204

65.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 ARS 87.9K

$43.37 MX$808

31.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.84 ARS 21.3K

$11.78 MX$220

17.49%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ARS 5,080

$3.81 MX$71.0

-13.39%

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

$1.97 ARS 3,034

$1.28 MX$23.90

53.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ARS 3,115

$0.78 MX$14.59

158.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 ARS 5,298

$3.17 MX$59.0

8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 ARS 7,175

$4.93 MX$92.0

-5.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,178

$1.41 MX$26.22

0.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ARS 3,648

$2.22 MX$41.33

6.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,041

$1.42 MX$26.42

39.44%

Eggs

$2.92 ARS 4,496

$2.52 MX$47.03

15.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 ARS 16.3K

$7.26 MX$135

46.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 ARS 12.2K

$7.70 MX$143

3.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.95 ARS 15.3K

$12.69 MX$237

-21.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ARS 3,284

$2.78 MX$51.9

-23.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ARS 3,560

$1.37 MX$25.50

68.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,292

$2.55 MX$47.55

-41.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 ARS 3,807

$2.12 MX$39.58

16.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ARS 1,793

$1.94 MX$36.13

-39.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ARS 1,702

$1.89 MX$35.16

-41.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,215

$1.18 MX$21.98

22.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ARS 5,292

$4.30 MX$80.1

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.39 ARS 8,296

$9.95 MX$185

-45.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ARS 3,272

$1.58 MX$29.52

34.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ARS 4,660

$2.67 MX$49.79

13.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ARS 1,430

$0.55 MX$10.31

69.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ARS 2,424

$4.97 MX$92.6

-68.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ARS 1,872

$1.44 MX$26.92

-15.28%

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

$27.5K ARS 42.3M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

32.97%

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

$30.9K ARS 47.6M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

31.89%

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

$134 ARS 206.4K

$84.8 MX$1,581

58.23%

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

$15.99 ARS 24.6K

$23.41 MX$436

-31.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.53 ARS 42.4K

$28.66 MX$534

-3.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.26 ARS 48.1K

$57.1 MX$1,063

-45.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.28 ARS 29.7K

$28.91 MX$539

-33.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 ARS 13.4K

$5.14 MX$95.8

70.04%

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

$239 ARS 367.8K

$207 MX$3,851

15.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,149 ARS 6.4M

$3,927 MX$73.2K

5.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ARS 163.3K

$43.35 MX$808

144.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.5 ARS 131.5K

$41.44 MX$772

106.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ARS 194.5K

$74.2 MX$1,383

70.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ARS 200.2K

$89.3 MX$1,664

45.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 ARS 715.7K

$980 MX$18.3K

-52.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 ARS 478.0K

$381 MX$7,099

-18.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ARS 1.5M

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-41.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 ARS 1.3M

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-23.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,249 ARS 1.9M

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-79.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

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 San Martin de los Andes: 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.

Accommodation & Living

San Martin de los Andes

$311 24.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 22.5% $70

Eating Out

San Martin de los Andes

$268 21.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 24.5% $66

Groceries & Markets

San Martin de los Andes

$252 * 20%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 1% $2.5

Clothing & Footwear

San Martin de los Andes

$202 16%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 44.6% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Martin de los Andes

$178 14.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 23% $41

Sport & Entertainment

San Martin de los Andes

$49 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 38.1% $19

Getting Around

San Martin de los Andes

$5.3 * 0.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 854% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $465 in San Martin de los Andes versus $980 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 $57 in San Martin de los Andes versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in San Martin de los Andes vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so San Martin de los Andes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇷 San Martin de los Andes

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

2 h behind San Martin de los Andes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,913

149,923

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.5 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,538 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,712 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Martin de los Andes Playa del Carmen 6,950 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

San Martin de los Andes
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 Martin de los Andes vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Martin de los Andes is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,897 per month in San Martin de los Andes and $1,806 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 Martin de los Andes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $465 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in San Martin de los Andes and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $239 per month in San Martin de los Andes and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,264 in San Martin de los Andes and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,264 in San Martin de los Andes. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.