Comparación del coste de vida entre San Rafael y Playa del Carmen Comparación del coste de vida entre San Rafael y Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,577 per month in San Rafael vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,395 per month in San Rafael vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,214 per month in San Rafael vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Rafael costs about 23% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

San Rafael sits 18% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.10 ₡5,056

$11.94 MX$208

-7.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 ₡26.9K

$42.75 MX$744

38.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 ₡4,555

$10.59 MX$184

-5.57%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ₡1,698

$3.62 MX$63.0

3.04%

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

$1.99 ₡905

$1.47 MX$25.54

35.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₡746

$0.94 MX$16.41

74.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 ₡1,319

$3.09 MX$53.8

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,070

$4.46 MX$77.6

2.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₡890

$1.43 MX$24.80

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 ₡1,295

$1.88 MX$32.79

51.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ₡1,012

$1.63 MX$28.34

36.20%

Eggs

$2.92 ₡1,329

$2.64 MX$45.99

10.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 ₡4,521

$8.21 MX$143

20.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 ₡4,183

$8.29 MX$144

10.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.77 ₡6,274

$11.10 MX$193

24.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,090

$2.65 MX$46.14

73.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ₡656

$1.50 MX$26.11

-4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 ₡1,913

$1.99 MX$34.59

111.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 ₡1,618

$2.08 MX$36.13

70.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,543

$1.79 MX$31.11

89.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 ₡1,419

$2.18 MX$37.87

43.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 ₡443

$1.08 MX$18.73

-10.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 ₡1,301

$1.04 MX$18.04

175.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 ₡2,381

$3.97 MX$69.1

31.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.81 ₡9,936

$10.20 MX$178

113.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 ₡1,148

$1.73 MX$30.04

45.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,273

$2.50 MX$43.46

11.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ₡466

$0.52 MX$9.02

96.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₡842

$3.14 MX$54.7

-41.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 ₡849

$2.40 MX$41.80

-22.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.76 ₡3,534

$3.09 MX$53.7

151.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₡663

$1.27 MX$22.16

14.17%

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

$37.2K ₡17.0M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

20.50%

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

$32.5K ₡14.8M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

39.49%

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

$92.7 ₡42.2K

$82.0 MX$1,427

12.97%

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

$26.11 ₡11.9K

$22.45 MX$391

16.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 ₡27.6K

$29.66 MX$516

103.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₡26.1K

$51.9 MX$903

10.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.16 ₡11.0K

$18.67 MX$325

29.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 ₡4,491

$4.97 MX$86.5

98.39%

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

$575 ₡262.1K

$198 MX$3,442

190.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.9M

$5,273 MX$91.7K

144.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 ₡28.0K

$36.34 MX$632

69.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 ₡23.9K

$40.05 MX$697

30.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.9K

$79.9 MX$1,390

59.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₡49.8K

$88.9 MX$1,547

23.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$779 ₡354.8K

$963 MX$16.8K

-19.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 ₡272.5K

$465 MX$8,086

28.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 ₡694.9K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-4.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$972 ₡442.8K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-19.59%

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 %)

10.17

11.42

-10.95%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para San Rafael: April 25, 2026

Última actualización para Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $779 in San Rafael 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 $59.0 in San Rafael versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $251 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

San Rafael vs Playa del Carmen: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Yes – San Rafael is pricier by about 23%, 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 $2,365 per month in San Rafael 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 $1,577 in San Rafael 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 $575 per month in San Rafael 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 Rafael at $1,577. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Rafael 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 Rafael makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.