Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $756 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,240 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,724 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas is about 40% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Santa Lucía Milpas Altas and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 45% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.97 Q 53.2

$11.60 MX$199

-39.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 Q 385

$47.11 MX$809

7.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 Q 60.6

$11.88 MX$204

-33.08%

Cappuccino

$3.42 Q 26.06

$3.98 MX$68.2

-14.07%

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

$1.11 Q 8.45

$1.43 MX$24.49

-22.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 Q 6.42

$0.82 MX$14.16

2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 Q 24.63

$3.19 MX$54.7

1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 Q 35.47

$6.79 MX$117

-31.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 Q 16.10

$1.68 MX$28.76

25.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 Q 21.87

$2.20 MX$37.71

30.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 Q 16.25

$1.71 MX$29.32

24.56%

Eggs

$2.49 Q 19.00

$2.74 MX$47.05

-9.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 Q 47.97

$9.58 MX$164

-34.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 Q 70.1

$9.01 MX$155

2.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 Q 103

$12.81 MX$220

5.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 Q 30.57

$2.89 MX$49.58

38.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 Q 12.67

$1.50 MX$25.70

10.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 Q 21.92

$2.15 MX$36.87

33.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 Q 12.54

$2.26 MX$38.79

-27.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 Q 11.71

$1.98 MX$34.00

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 Q 15.96

$1.99 MX$34.15

5.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 Q 5.68

$1.23 MX$21.18

-39.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Q 9.25

$1.20 MX$20.54

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 Q 31.42

$4.55 MX$78.1

-9.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 Q 61.6

$10.37 MX$178

-22.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 Q 13.11

$1.62 MX$27.79

6.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 Q 19.72

$2.88 MX$49.44

-10.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 Q 40.33

$5.39 MX$92.5

-1.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.51 Q 80.2

$5.77 MX$99.0

82.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 Q 9.33

$1.54 MX$26.37

-20.78%

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

$27.8K Q 212.2K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

23.35%

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

$25.3K Q 193.0K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

-2.89%

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

$75.6 Q 577

$91.4 MX$1,569

-17.24%

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

$29.40 Q 224

$25.20 MX$433

16.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.14 Q 352

$31.24 MX$536

47.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 Q 49.31

$4.86 MX$83.5

32.92%

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

$347 Q 2,648

$224 MX$3,839

55.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Q 50.4K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

56.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.08 Q 359

$47.10 MX$808

-0.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.86 Q 357

$44.29 MX$760

5.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 Q 848

$80.1 MX$1,375

38.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 846

$92.7 MX$1,591

19.66%

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 %)

11.62

11.45

1.48%

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

Last update for Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $276 – 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 Lucía Milpas Altas vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 68%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,133 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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 $756 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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 $347 per month in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, where all-in costs run around $756, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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 Lucía Milpas Altas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. 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.