Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Clara de Valladares and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Clara de Valladares and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,296 per month in Santa Clara de Valladares vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Santa Clara de Valladares vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,929 per month in Santa Clara de Valladares vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Clara de Valladares and Playa del Carmen have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Santa Clara de Valladares and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Santa Clara de Valladares 6% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 MX$201

$11.71 MX$198

1.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 MX$1,097

$46.59 MX$786

39.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.44 MX$159

$11.65 MX$197

-18.97%

Cappuccino

$3.97 MX$67.0

$4.09 MX$69.1

-2.93%

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

$1.83 MX$30.94

$1.37 MX$23.20

33.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$18.58

$0.83 MX$14.07

32.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 MX$63.7

$3.35 MX$56.6

12.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 MX$98.2

$6.91 MX$117

-15.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 MX$33.48

$1.73 MX$29.15

14.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 MX$48.90

$2.26 MX$38.15

28.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.12

$1.77 MX$29.86

17.51%

Eggs

$2.96 MX$49.88

$2.73 MX$46.12

8.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 MX$159

$9.18 MX$155

2.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 MX$166

$8.92 MX$151

10.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.96 MX$253

$12.60 MX$213

18.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 MX$62.8

$3.02 MX$51.0

23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MX$28.54

$1.57 MX$26.51

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 MX$39.35

$2.13 MX$35.88

9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.12

$2.26 MX$38.22

-7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$34.86

$2.00 MX$33.82

3.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.41

$2.06 MX$34.85

-9.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$26.81

$1.18 MX$19.91

34.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$21.24

$1.20 MX$20.32

5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 MX$80.8

$4.63 MX$78.2

3.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 MX$323

$10.69 MX$180

78.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 MX$40.50

$1.62 MX$27.33

48.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$75.3

$2.88 MX$48.63

54.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$11.43

$0.57 MX$9.68

19.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 MX$61.2

$5.45 MX$91.9

-33.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 MX$45.75

$3.70 MX$62.5

-26.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 MX$197

$5.98 MX$101

95.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$28.08

$1.55 MX$26.22

7.10%

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

$22.7K MX$383.6K

$22.3K MX$376.8K

1.78%

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

$25.9K MX$437.8K

$25.9K MX$438.0K

-0.03%

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

$65.8 MX$1,111

$89.1 MX$1,504

-26.15%

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

$29.49 MX$498

$25.04 MX$423

17.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.57 MX$448

$31.50 MX$532

-15.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.16 MX$577

$67.8 MX$1,144

-49.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.15 MX$357

$28.92 MX$488

-26.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 MX$132

$5.05 MX$85.2

54.65%

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

$290 MX$4,887

$225 MX$3,797

28.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,461 MX$92.2K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

29.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 MX$937

$47.44 MX$801

16.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.68 MX$805

$44.98 MX$759

6.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,802

$82.0 MX$1,384

30.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 MX$1,780

$92.1 MX$1,555

14.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 MX$10.9K

$1,069 MX$18.0K

-39.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 MX$7,884

$405 MX$6,842

15.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 MX$18.4K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-43.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$784 MX$13.2K

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-39.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,811 MX$30.6K

$3,995 MX$67.4K

-54.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,291 MX$21.8K

$6,626 MX$111.8K

-80.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.99

11.45

4.72%

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

Last update for Santa Clara de Valladares: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $648 in Santa Clara de Valladares versus $1,069 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 $65.0 in Santa Clara de Valladares versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $277 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Santa Clara de Valladares vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Santa Clara de Valladares and $1,940 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Santa Clara de Valladares and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $290 per month in Santa Clara de Valladares and $225 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 $1,293, than in Santa Clara de Valladares at $1,296. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Clara de Valladares 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, Santa Clara de Valladares makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.