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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,800 per month in Santa Lucia vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,324 per month in Santa Lucia vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Lucia is about 1% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Santa Lucia and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Santa Lucia 5% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.84 CUP 236

$11.94 MX$208

-17.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.90 CUP 718

$42.75 MX$744

-30.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 CUP 173

$10.59 MX$184

-32.01%

Cappuccino

$3.29 CUP 78.9

$3.62 MX$63.0

-9.12%

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

$1.08 CUP 26.02

$1.47 MX$25.54

-26.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 CUP 20.97

$0.94 MX$16.41

-7.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 CUP 47.35

$3.09 MX$53.8

-36.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CUP 73.2

$4.46 MX$77.6

-31.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 CUP 47.83

$1.43 MX$24.80

39.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 CUP 43.38

$1.88 MX$32.79

-3.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 CUP 36.57

$1.63 MX$28.34

-6.75%

Eggs

$3.56 CUP 85.5

$2.64 MX$45.99

34.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 CUP 149

$8.21 MX$143

-24.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 CUP 137

$8.29 MX$144

-31.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 CUP 259

$11.10 MX$193

-2.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 CUP 66.3

$2.65 MX$46.14

4.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CUP 36.46

$1.50 MX$26.11

1.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 CUP 49.88

$1.99 MX$34.59

4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 CUP 55.5

$2.08 MX$36.13

11.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 CUP 48.79

$1.79 MX$31.11

13.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 CUP 41.15

$2.18 MX$37.87

-21.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.25

$1.08 MX$18.73

-6.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.69

$1.04 MX$18.04

-4.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 CUP 95.0

$3.97 MX$69.1

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.94 CUP 287

$10.20 MX$178

17.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CUP 39.35

$1.73 MX$30.04

-5.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CUP 57.4

$2.50 MX$43.46

-4.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 CUP 5.33

$0.52 MX$9.02

-57.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.27 CUP 606

$26.97 MX$469

-6.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CUP 78.3

$3.14 MX$54.7

3.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 CUP 9.17

$2.40 MX$41.80

-84.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 CUP 365

$3.09 MX$53.7

391.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 CUP 25.80

$1.27 MX$22.16

-15.75%

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

$71.3K CUP 1.7M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

130.75%

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

$81.4K CUP 2.0M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

249.20%

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

$35.39 CUP 849

$82.0 MX$1,427

-56.85%

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

$14.82 CUP 356

$22.45 MX$391

-33.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$247 CUP 5,930

$29.66 MX$516

733.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.37 CUP 945

$51.9 MX$903

-24.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 CUP 360

$18.67 MX$325

-19.60%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.40

$4.97 MX$86.5

-80.28%

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

$162 CUP 3,888

$198 MX$3,442

-18.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,930 CUP 94.3K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-25.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 CUP 1,690

$36.34 MX$632

93.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 CUP 1,331

$40.05 MX$697

38.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 CUP 2,358

$79.9 MX$1,390

22.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CUP 2,554

$88.9 MX$1,547

19.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 CUP 13.3K

$963 MX$16.8K

-42.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 CUP 8,341

$465 MX$8,086

-25.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 CUP 17.9K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-53.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 CUP 12.0K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-58.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$344 CUP 8,264

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-91.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$369 CUP 8,859

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-94.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$56.9 CUP 1,366

$720 MX$12.5K

-92.10%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $554 in Santa Lucia versus $963 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 1165% 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 $30.00 in Santa Lucia versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $251 – 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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 1%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,913 per month in Santa Lucia and $1,930 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 Lucia, 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 $1,276 in Santa Lucia and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Santa Lucia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Lucia, where all-in costs run around $1,276, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Santa Lucia 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 Lucia – 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 Lucia. 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.