Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $639 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Santa Cruz

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$639

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $639 per month in Santa Cruz vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Cruz $639
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,172 per month in Santa Cruz vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,172
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,704 per month in Santa Cruz vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,704
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Santa Cruz is about 47% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Santa Cruz and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Santa Cruz 53% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.00 BOB 23.19

$10.76 MX$199

-81.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.80 BOB 195

$43.03 MX$795

-60.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 BOB 59.2

$11.79 MX$218

-56.74%

Cappuccino

$1.77 BOB 20.52

$3.87 MX$71.4

-54.26%

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

$0.49 BOB 5.72

$1.37 MX$25.29

-64.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 BOB 4.97

$0.84 MX$15.44

-48.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 BOB 9.97

$3.10 MX$57.3

-72.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 BOB 14.35

$5.07 MX$93.6

-75.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 BOB 8.23

$1.44 MX$26.55

-50.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 BOB 10.88

$2.23 MX$41.23

-57.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 BOB 11.93

$1.47 MX$27.17

-29.93%

Eggs

$1.06 BOB 12.27

$2.53 MX$46.71

-58.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.15 BOB 36.56

$7.30 MX$135

-56.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.58 BOB 29.92

$7.86 MX$145

-67.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.98 BOB 57.8

$12.79 MX$236

-61.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 BOB 21.12

$2.90 MX$53.6

-37.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 BOB 7.24

$1.44 MX$26.53

-56.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 BOB 8.81

$2.55 MX$47.07

-70.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 BOB 8.48

$2.06 MX$38.03

-64.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 BOB 8.55

$2.00 MX$36.97

-63.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 BOB 7.75

$2.01 MX$37.07

-66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 BOB 6.66

$1.19 MX$22.02

-52.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 BOB 7.36

$1.26 MX$23.23

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.92 BOB 22.25

$4.40 MX$81.4

-56.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.32 BOB 50.2

$9.59 MX$177

-54.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 BOB 11.86

$1.59 MX$29.41

-35.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 BOB 19.01

$2.81 MX$51.9

-41.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 BOB 2.78

$0.57 MX$10.47

-57.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.48 BOB 261

$27.82 MX$514

-19.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 BOB 19.05

$4.98 MX$92.1

-67.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BOB 10.58

$3.50 MX$64.6

-74.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 BOB 73.3

$5.40 MX$99.8

16.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 BOB 6.59

$1.47 MX$27.08

-61.22%

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

$14.1K BOB 163.3K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

-32.98%

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

$19.3K BOB 223.6K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-19.42%

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

$34.84 BOB 405

$84.2 MX$1,556

-58.63%

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

$19.67 BOB 228

$23.99 MX$443

-18.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.53 BOB 204

$29.02 MX$536

-39.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.56 BOB 227

$63.0 MX$1,164

-68.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.84 BOB 149

$29.14 MX$539

-55.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 BOB 68.1

$4.94 MX$91.3

18.62%

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

$112 BOB 1,303

$204 MX$3,763

-44.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,950 BOB 34.2K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

-25.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.21 BOB 316

$43.60 MX$806

-37.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.79 BOB 416

$43.12 MX$797

-17.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.3 BOB 769

$75.8 MX$1,400

-12.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 BOB 677

$88.6 MX$1,637

-34.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 BOB 3,105

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-73.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 BOB 2,869

$374 MX$6,911

-33.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 BOB 10.6K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-46.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 BOB 9,630

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-25.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,299 BOB 15.1K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-67.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$737 BOB 8,551

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-88.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$276 BOB 3,204

$754 MX$13.9K

-63.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

11.45

-46.11%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz

$247 38.6%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 51.4% $127

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

$112 17.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 131% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

$84 13.2%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 33.9% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

$72 11.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 90.4% $65

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

$63 9.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 221% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

$31 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 133% $42

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

$30 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 77.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Santa Cruz versus $1,008 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 173% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Santa Cruz versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $112 vs $258 – making Santa Cruz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇴 Santa Cruz

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:44 8:44 AM

07:44 7:44 AM

1 h behind Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,800,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 BOB = 8.61 USD

100 BOB = 7.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BOB – Bolivian Boliviano Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇴 Bolivian Boliviano (Bs.)

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 11.61 BOB (100 BOB = 8.61 USD). 1 EUR = 13.05 BOB (100 BOB = 7.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BOB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz Playa del Carmen 5,000 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $959 per month in Santa Cruz and $1,816 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 Santa Cruz, 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 $639 in Santa Cruz and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 89%.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Santa Cruz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $639, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Santa Cruz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Cruz – 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 Santa Cruz. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.