Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Ramon and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,729 in San Ramon, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in San Ramon
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San Ramon 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 Ramon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,729

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,729 per month in San Ramon vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Ramon $1,729
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,722 per month in San Ramon vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Ramon $2,722
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,715 per month in San Ramon vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Ramon $3,715
Playa del Carmen $2,959

San Ramon costs about 44% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Ramon sits 27% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.18 ₡5,500

$10.92 MX$203

11.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.9 ₡27.9K

$43.37 MX$808

42.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 ₡5,276

$11.78 MX$219

-0.76%

Cappuccino

$3.82 ₡1,726

$3.81 MX$71.0

0.26%

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

$2.21 ₡996

$1.28 MX$23.89

72.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₡884

$0.78 MX$14.58

151.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₡1,357

$3.17 MX$59.0

-5.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 ₡2,126

$4.93 MX$91.9

-4.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,077

$1.41 MX$26.20

69.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 ₡1,371

$2.22 MX$41.30

36.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,141

$1.42 MX$26.40

78.17%

Eggs

$5.07 ₡2,288

$2.52 MX$47.00

101.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 ₡4,869

$7.26 MX$135

48.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 ₡4,654

$7.70 MX$143

33.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.28 ₡6,446

$12.69 MX$236

12.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 ₡2,253

$2.78 MX$51.9

79.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₡700

$1.37 MX$25.49

13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 ₡1,471

$2.55 MX$47.52

27.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 ₡1,546

$2.12 MX$39.55

61.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 ₡1,442

$1.94 MX$36.11

64.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ₡1,452

$1.89 MX$35.13

70.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ₡547

$1.15 MX$21.36

5.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 ₡1,236

$1.18 MX$21.96

132.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.56 ₡2,511

$4.30 MX$80.0

29.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.31 ₡7,362

$9.95 MX$185

63.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 ₡1,154

$1.58 MX$29.50

62.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₡1,234

$2.67 MX$49.76

2.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡587

$0.55 MX$10.31

136.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 ₡1,108

$4.97 MX$92.6

-50.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡708

$3.33 MX$62.1

-52.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₡4,005

$5.36 MX$99.8

65.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

$1.44 MX$26.90

7.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$20.7K MX$385.0K

66.92%

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

$41.3K ₡18.7M

$23.5K MX$437.2K

76.14%

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

$144 ₡65.2K

$84.8 MX$1,580

70.34%

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

$44.11 ₡19.9K

$23.41 MX$436

88.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 ₡24.3K

$28.66 MX$534

87.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.0 ₡26.6K

$57.1 MX$1,063

3.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ₡3,526

$5.14 MX$95.7

51.95%

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

$843 ₡380.8K

$207 MX$3,848

308.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$3,927 MX$73.2K

334.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.8K

$43.35 MX$808

62.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 ₡24.9K

$41.44 MX$772

33.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.1K

$74.2 MX$1,382

73.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ₡56.5K

$89.3 MX$1,663

40.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₡368.5K

$980 MX$18.2K

-16.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₡282.5K

$381 MX$7,095

64.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,903 ₡859.0K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

11.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 ₡563.9K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

16.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,145 ₡516.7K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-70.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 ₡521.7K

$6,158 MX$114.7K

-81.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.45

-24.72%

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

Last update for San Ramon: October 24, 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 Ramon

$626 36.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 39.1% $245

Groceries & Markets

San Ramon

$380 22%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 33% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Ramon

$242 14%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 43.5% $106

Eating Out

San Ramon

$220 12.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 7.8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

San Ramon

$171 9.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 34.6% $59

Sport & Entertainment

San Ramon

$75 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 9.8% $7.3

Getting Around

San Ramon

$16 * 0.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 226% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $816 in San Ramon 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 $62 in San Ramon versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Ramon

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

06:58 6:58 AM

1 h ahead of San Ramon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Ramon Playa del Carmen 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Ramon is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,593 per month in San Ramon 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 Ramon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $816 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,729 in San Ramon and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 30% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $843 per month in San Ramon and $207 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 $1,204, than in San Ramon at $1,729. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Ramon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 $1,729 in San Ramon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.