Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe, NM and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,916 in Santa Fe, NM, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Santa Fe, NM
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Santa Fe, NM Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Santa Fe, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,916

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,916 per month in Santa Fe, NM vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Fe, NM $2,916
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $3,885 per month in Santa Fe, NM vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Fe, NM $3,885
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $4,854 per month in Santa Fe, NM vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Fe, NM $4,854
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Santa Fe, NM costs about 140% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santa Fe, NM sits 118% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 $16.87

$10.97 MX$202

53.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 $69.1

$44.85 MX$826

54.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 $10.05

$11.92 MX$220

-15.69%

Cappuccino

$4.91 $4.91

$3.80 MX$70.1

29.21%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.31 MX$24.16

124.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$0.86 MX$15.77

170.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.21 MX$59.2

84.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 $6.91

$5.01 MX$92.3

37.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.46 MX$26.86

-36.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.33 MX$42.86

39.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$1.44 MX$26.57

205.56%

Eggs

$4.31 $4.31

$2.46 MX$45.34

75.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.88 $11.88

$7.70 MX$142

54.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 $9.42

$7.89 MX$145

19.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 $16.87

$12.80 MX$236

31.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.92 MX$53.7

62.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.42 MX$26.19

3.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.57 MX$47.25

53.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.14 MX$39.37

99.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.95 MX$35.86

58.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.94 MX$35.66

5.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.15 MX$21.20

69.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.22 MX$22.49

109.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.37 $10.37

$4.38 MX$80.6

136.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.89 $15.89

$9.85 MX$182

61.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.54 MX$28.32

32.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.72 MX$50.0

34.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$4.91 MX$90.5

-27.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.52 MX$64.9

-42.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.54 $32.54

$5.69 MX$105

471.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.54 MX$28.37

-37.66%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$21.2K MX$391.2K

45.87%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$24.5K MX$451.1K

1.13%

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

$158 $158

$83.6 MX$1,540

88.84%

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

$44.76 $44.76

$24.03 MX$443

86.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.8 $73.8

$29.33 MX$540

151.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.9 $87.9

$64.9 MX$1,195

35.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 $13.17

$5.09 MX$93.7

158.74%

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

$1,326 $1,326

$208 MX$3,825

538.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K $15.2K

$4,045 MX$74.5K

274.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 $54.5

$44.55 MX$821

22.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.46 $43.46

$42.06 MX$775

3.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 $78.9

$75.5 MX$1,391

4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$91.4 MX$1,683

31.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,307 $2,307

$986 MX$18.2K

133.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 $1,700

$385 MX$7,095

341.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,584 $3,584

$1,713 MX$31.6K

109.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 $2,241

$1,108 MX$20.4K

102.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,631 $6,631

$4,016 MX$74.0K

65.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,202 $4,202

$6,247 MX$115.1K

-32.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,757 $3,757

$758 MX$14.0K

395.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.45

-42.62%

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

Last update for Santa Fe, NM: October 4, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Fe, NM

$1.7K 58.5%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 77.3% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Fe, NM

$381 13.1%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 31.6% $120

Eating Out

Santa Fe, NM

$289 9.9%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 29.3% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Fe, NM

$276 9.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 50.4% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Fe, NM

$134 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 14.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Fe, NM

$114 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 34.3% $39

Getting Around

Santa Fe, NM

$14 * 0.5%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 280% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,307 in Santa Fe, NM versus $986 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 396% higher in Santa Fe, NM, 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 $69.0 in Santa Fe, NM versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $260 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Fe, NM

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

22:47 10:47 PM

1 h ahead of Santa Fe, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,505

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.43 USD

100 MXN = 4.84 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 18.42 MXN (100 MXN = 5.43 USD). 1 EUR = 20.64 MXN (100 MXN = 4.84 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Fe, NM Playa del Carmen 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Fe, NM
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 Fe, NM vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Fe, NM is pricier by about 140%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,375 per month in Santa Fe, NM and $1,823 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,916 in Santa Fe, NM and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 140%.

Kindergarten costs $1,326 per month in Santa Fe, NM and $208 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 $1,215, than in Santa Fe, NM at $2,916. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Fe, NM 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 Fe, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.