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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,622 per month in San Pedro vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,116 per month in San Pedro vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,610 per month in San Pedro vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Pedro costs about 25% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

San Pedro sits 21% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.25 BZD 18.51

$11.73 MX$203

-21.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 BZD 58.8

$41.62 MX$720

-29.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

Cappuccino

$2.92 BZD 5.83

$3.52 MX$60.9

-17.05%

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

$1.34 BZD 2.68

$1.51 MX$26.12

-11.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 BZD 3.03

$0.97 MX$16.84

56.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 BZD 6.10

$2.95 MX$51.0

3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 BZD 7.94

$4.45 MX$77.0

-10.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.12 BZD 8.25

$1.38 MX$23.93

198.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 BZD 2.64

$1.89 MX$32.72

-30.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 BZD 8.44

$1.64 MX$28.32

157.32%

Eggs

$2.18 BZD 4.36

$2.51 MX$43.34

-13.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 BZD 19.96

$8.34 MX$144

19.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 BZD 12.64

$8.34 MX$144

-24.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.28 BZD 16.57

$10.73 MX$186

-22.83%

Apples (1kg)

$8.40 BZD 16.81

$2.60 MX$45.04

223.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 BZD 2.15

$1.46 MX$25.20

-26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 BZD 2.24

$1.90 MX$32.87

-41.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.59 BZD 11.18

$2.08 MX$35.91

168.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 BZD 5.53

$1.78 MX$30.71

55.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 BZD 6.08

$2.19 MX$37.80

38.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.53 BZD 7.06

$1.04 MX$17.99

239.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 BZD 2.46

$1.08 MX$18.62

13.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

Wine (Bottle)

$24.01 BZD 48.02

$10.32 MX$178

132.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 BZD 4.96

$1.71 MX$29.61

45.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 BZD 6.59

$2.58 MX$44.54

27.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.95 BZD 9.90

$2.49 MX$43.09

98.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 BZD 3.30

$1.31 MX$22.61

25.95%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

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

$174 BZD 347

$82.9 MX$1,433

109.58%

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

$22.22 MX$384

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 BZD 204

$29.34 MX$507

246.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.41 BZD 58.8

$51.6 MX$893

-43.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

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

$201 MX$3,473

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 BZD 196

$78.5 MX$1,357

25.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 BZD 2,017

$973 MX$16.8K

3.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 BZD 1,492

$468 MX$8,090

59.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 BZD 2,112

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-35.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 BZD 1,795

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-26.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,648 BZD 5,296

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-32.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,622 BZD 3,244

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-75.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for San Pedro: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in San Pedro versus $973 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 $29.00 in San Pedro versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $358 in San Pedro vs $249 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Yes – San Pedro is pricier by about 25%, 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 $2,432 per month in San Pedro and $1,945 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.

Groceries cost about 44% more in San Pedro, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in San Pedro and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in San Pedro at $1,622. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Pedro 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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