Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz del Seibo and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz del Seibo and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $656 per month in Santa Cruz del Seibo vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,049 per month in Santa Cruz del Seibo vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,442 per month in Santa Cruz del Seibo vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Cruz del Seibo is about 48% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Santa Cruz del Seibo and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Santa Cruz del Seibo 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.27 DOP 487

$11.60 MX$199

-28.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.76 DOP 2,520

$47.11 MX$809

-9.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 DOP 300

$11.88 MX$204

-57.07%

Cappuccino

$1.82 DOP 107

$3.98 MX$68.2

-54.27%

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

$0.73 DOP 43.27

$1.43 MX$24.49

-48.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 DOP 22.59

$0.82 MX$14.16

-53.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 DOP 147

$3.19 MX$54.7

-21.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 DOP 235

$6.79 MX$117

-41.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 DOP 73.3

$1.68 MX$28.76

-26.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 DOP 105

$2.20 MX$37.71

-19.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 DOP 90.8

$1.71 MX$29.32

-9.94%

Eggs

$1.52 DOP 89.8

$2.74 MX$47.05

-44.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 DOP 377

$9.58 MX$164

-33.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 DOP 212

$9.01 MX$155

-60.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.71 DOP 277

$12.81 MX$220

-63.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 DOP 219

$2.89 MX$49.58

28.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 DOP 86.5

$1.50 MX$25.70

-2.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 DOP 197

$2.15 MX$36.87

55.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 DOP 131

$2.26 MX$38.79

-2.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 DOP 219

$1.98 MX$34.00

87.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 DOP 172

$1.99 MX$34.15

46.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 DOP 53.8

$1.23 MX$21.18

-26.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 DOP 95.7

$1.20 MX$20.54

35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.97 DOP 293

$4.55 MX$78.1

9.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.05 DOP 1,005

$10.37 MX$178

64.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 DOP 180

$1.62 MX$27.79

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 DOP 200

$2.88 MX$49.44

18.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 DOP 146

$5.39 MX$92.5

-53.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.38 DOP 199

$3.73 MX$64.0

-9.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 DOP 83.7

$1.54 MX$26.37

-7.79%

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

$15.1K DOP 891.5K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

-32.91%

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

$25.4K DOP 1.5M

$26.1K MX$447.3K

-2.60%

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

$98.1 DOP 5,782

$91.4 MX$1,569

7.36%

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

$27.13 DOP 1,599

$25.20 MX$433

7.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.79 DOP 2,345

$31.24 MX$536

27.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$5.19 DOP 306

$4.86 MX$83.5

6.79%

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

$154 DOP 9,094

$224 MX$3,839

-31.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,493 DOP 323.7K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

29.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.50 DOP 1,621

$47.10 MX$808

-41.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.34 DOP 2,731

$44.29 MX$760

4.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 DOP 3,685

$80.1 MX$1,375

-21.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.5 DOP 3,980

$92.7 MX$1,591

-27.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-3.93%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz del Seibo: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Santa Cruz del Seibo versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $276 – making Santa Cruz del Seibo 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 Cruz del Seibo vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 93%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $984 per month in Santa Cruz del Seibo and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $656 in Santa Cruz del Seibo and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $154 per month in Santa Cruz del Seibo and $224 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 Santa Cruz del Seibo, where all-in costs run around $656, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Santa Cruz del Seibo 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 del Seibo – 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 del Seibo. 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.