Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Salvador and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,629 in San Salvador, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Salvador outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in San Salvador
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San Salvador Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,629

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,629 per month in San Salvador vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Salvador $1,629
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,449 per month in San Salvador vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Salvador $2,449
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,269 per month in San Salvador vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Salvador $3,269
Playa del Carmen $2,959

San Salvador costs about 35% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

San Salvador sits 20% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 $6.58

$10.92 MX$204

-39.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.57 $44.57

$43.37 MX$810

2.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 $7.06

$11.78 MX$220

-40.07%

Cappuccino

$3.62 $3.62

$3.81 MX$71.2

-4.99%

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

$1.13 $1.13

$1.28 MX$23.96

-11.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.78 MX$14.63

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.17 MX$59.2

-37.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.93 MX$92.2

-29.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.41 MX$26.28

26.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.22 MX$41.43

31.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.42 MX$26.48

-3.52%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$2.52 MX$47.14

18.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$7.26 MX$136

7.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 $6.92

$7.70 MX$144

-10.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 $10.07

$12.69 MX$237

-20.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.78 MX$52.0

77.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.37 MX$25.56

3.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.55 MX$47.66

-0.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.12 MX$39.67

66.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.94 MX$36.22

53.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.89 MX$35.24

72.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.15 MX$21.42

-17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.18 MX$22.03

-21.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.30 MX$80.3

-5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.77 $11.77

$9.95 MX$186

18.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.58 MX$29.59

44.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.67 MX$49.91

9.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.55 MX$10.34

-43.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.77 $14.77

$26.62 MX$497

-44.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 $5.97

$4.97 MX$92.9

20.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.33 MX$62.2

-8.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.88 $19.88

$5.36 MX$100

270.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.44 MX$26.98

-13.19%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$20.7K MX$386.2K

23.23%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$23.5K MX$438.5K

13.86%

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

$129 $129

$84.8 MX$1,584

51.95%

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

$20.87 $20.87

$23.41 MX$437

-10.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.10 $42.10

$28.66 MX$535

46.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.34 $29.34

$57.1 MX$1,066

-48.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.36 $21.36

$28.91 MX$540

-26.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 $5.13

$5.14 MX$96.0

-0.19%

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

$161 $161

$207 MX$3,860

-22.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,729 $4,729

$3,927 MX$73.4K

20.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$43.35 MX$810

53.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.50 $47.50

$41.44 MX$774

14.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$74.2 MX$1,386

61.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$89.3 MX$1,668

31.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 $893

$980 MX$18.3K

-8.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 $776

$381 MX$7,116

103.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 $1,792

$1,708 MX$31.9K

4.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 $1,366

$1,075 MX$20.1K

27.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,817 $2,817

$3,943 MX$73.7K

-28.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 $1,839

$6,158 MX$115.1K

-70.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$376 $376

$735 MX$13.7K

-48.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

11.45

-25.76%

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

Last update for San Salvador: October 26, 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 Salvador

$776 47.7%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 50.9% $395

Groceries & Markets

San Salvador

$285 17.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 10.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Salvador

$192 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 28.7% $55

Clothing & Footwear

San Salvador

$158 9.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 29.3% $46

Eating Out

San Salvador

$142 8.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 42.7% $61

Sport & Entertainment

San Salvador

$40 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 70% $28

Getting Around

San Salvador

$37 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 35.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $893 in San Salvador 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.

Salaries run about 95% higher in Playa del Carmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in San Salvador versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:59 9:59 PM

22:59 10:59 PM

1 h ahead of San Salvador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

316,090 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

San Salvador Playa del Carmen 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Salvador is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,444 per month in San Salvador and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $893 in San Salvador and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,629 in San Salvador and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 35%.

Public transport costs about 45% less in San Salvador. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in San Salvador at $1,629. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Salvador 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 $1,629 in San Salvador. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.