Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Rita, Guam and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,784 in Santa Rita, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Santa Rita

🇬🇺 Guam

$1,784

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,784 per month in Santa Rita vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Rita $1,784
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,706 per month in Santa Rita vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Rita $2,706
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,628 per month in Santa Rita vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Rita $3,628
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Santa Rita costs about 48% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Santa Rita sits 32% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.09 $20.09

$10.86 MX$203

84.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$44.21 MX$824

70.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 $6.16

$11.76 MX$219

-47.62%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.68 MX$68.6

36.96%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$1.34 MX$25.01

85.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.82 MX$15.38

196.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$3.06 MX$57.1

158.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.94 MX$92.1

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.47 MX$27.41

161.90%

White Bread (500g)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.22 MX$41.32

90.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.48 MX$27.57

77.70%

Eggs

$3.84 $3.84

$2.49 MX$46.41

54.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 $19.70

$7.52 MX$140

161.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$7.96 MX$148

-18.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 $9.92

$12.57 MX$234

-21.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.78 MX$51.8

71.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.43 MX$26.61

88.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.81

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.14 MX$39.85

110.28%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.02 MX$37.72

101.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.99 MX$37.08

39.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.14 MX$21.20

75.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$79.4

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.54 MX$28.67

79.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.66 MX$49.62

-34.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$513

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$91.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$64.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.63 $32.63

$5.38 MX$100

506.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.45 MX$27.00

-4.14%

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

$21.2K MX$394.5K

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

$23.0K MX$429.2K

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

$251 $251

$85.4 MX$1,592

193.96%

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

$89.9 $89.9

$23.46 MX$438

283.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.4 $78.4

$28.43 MX$530

175.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 $101

$62.2 MX$1,160

62.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$535

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$95.2

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

$201 MX$3,749

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$73.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$828

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$771

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,356

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,671

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 $900

$979 MX$18.3K

-8.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 $612

$373 MX$6,950

64.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 $1,982

$1,681 MX$31.3K

17.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 $1,102

$1,095 MX$20.4K

0.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$303 $303

$6,137 MX$114.4K

-95.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,588 $5,588

$738 MX$13.8K

657.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Santa Rita: October 17, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Rita

–

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rita

–

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Eating Out

Santa Rita

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rita

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rita

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rita

–

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Getting Around

Santa Rita

–

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Santa Rita versus $979 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 in Santa Rita are about 7.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Santa Rita versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇺 Santa Rita

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

14:02 2:02 PM

15 h behind Santa Rita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,500

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 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 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18.65 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.89 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Rita Playa del Carmen 13,210 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Santa Rita is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,676 per month in Santa Rita and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $900 in Santa Rita and $979 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Santa Rita, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Santa Rita and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Santa Rita at $1,784. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Rita it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,784 in Santa Rita. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Rita makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.