Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucia and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucia and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,276 per month in Santa Lucia vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,795 per month in Santa Lucia vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,315 per month in Santa Lucia vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

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

Both Santa Lucia and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Santa Lucia 5% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.82 CUP 236

$11.87 MX$204

-17.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.44 CUP 730

$42.90 MX$736

-29.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.79 CUP 163

$10.65 MX$183

-36.24%

Cappuccino

$3.33 CUP 79.9

$3.45 MX$59.2

-3.48%

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

$1.12 CUP 26.83

$1.50 MX$25.81

-25.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 CUP 20.99

$0.95 MX$16.28

-8.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 CUP 46.65

$3.03 MX$51.9

-35.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CUP 72.6

$4.61 MX$79.1

-34.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 CUP 45.95

$1.38 MX$23.61

38.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 CUP 44.99

$1.85 MX$31.70

1.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 CUP 36.34

$1.61 MX$27.65

-6.21%

Eggs

$3.77 CUP 90.4

$2.59 MX$44.51

45.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 CUP 150

$8.26 MX$142

-24.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 CUP 137

$8.37 MX$144

-31.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 CUP 266

$10.66 MX$183

4.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 CUP 66.1

$2.63 MX$45.12

4.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 CUP 38.11

$1.49 MX$25.53

6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 CUP 49.60

$1.92 MX$32.94

7.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 CUP 54.5

$2.09 MX$35.81

8.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 CUP 47.64

$1.86 MX$31.88

6.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 CUP 42.25

$2.26 MX$38.81

-22.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 CUP 23.48

$1.06 MX$18.23

-7.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 CUP 24.26

$1.09 MX$18.67

-7.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 CUP 97.4

$4.15 MX$71.2

-2.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 CUP 288

$10.39 MX$178

15.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 CUP 40.57

$1.72 MX$29.59

-1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 CUP 56.9

$2.61 MX$44.85

-9.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 CUP 5.15

$0.54 MX$9.30

-61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.97 CUP 599

$26.94 MX$462

-7.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 CUP 79.0

$3.13 MX$53.7

5.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 CUP 10.06

$2.51 MX$43.09

-83.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.28 CUP 367

$3.15 MX$54.1

385.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CUP 25.91

$1.27 MX$21.88

-14.96%

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

$69.6K CUP 1.7M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

129.00%

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

$81.4K CUP 2.0M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

245.21%

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

$34.90 CUP 838

$83.0 MX$1,425

-57.95%

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

$14.90 CUP 358

$22.71 MX$390

-34.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$250 CUP 6,009

$29.46 MX$506

749.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.68 CUP 952

$51.0 MX$875

-22.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.83 CUP 356

$18.33 MX$315

-19.09%

Cinema Ticket

$1.03 CUP 24.67

$4.93 MX$84.5

-79.11%

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

$163 CUP 3,909

$197 MX$3,386

-17.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,920 CUP 94.1K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 CUP 1,677

$36.90 MX$633

89.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 CUP 1,296

$39.89 MX$685

35.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 CUP 2,378

$80.0 MX$1,373

23.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CUP 2,470

$89.5 MX$1,536

15.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 CUP 13.2K

$956 MX$16.4K

-42.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 CUP 8,370

$477 MX$8,189

-26.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 CUP 18.2K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-53.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 CUP 12.0K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-59.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$339 CUP 8,139

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-91.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$381 CUP 9,132

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-94.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$56.0 CUP 1,345

$667 MX$11.4K

-91.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

11.42

-56.74%

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

Last update for Santa Lucia: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $552 in Santa Lucia versus $956 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 1090% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Santa Lucia versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $250 – making Santa Lucia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,913 per month in Santa Lucia and $1,906 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Santa Lucia – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $163 per month in Santa Lucia and $197 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 $1,271, than in Santa Lucia at $1,276. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Lucia 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 Lucia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.