Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Teresa and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,530 in Santa Teresa, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Santa Teresa
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Santa Teresa Living Index
57

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

Jump to prices

Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,530

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,530 per month in Santa Teresa vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Teresa $1,530
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $2,295 per month in Santa Teresa vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Teresa $2,295
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,061 per month in Santa Teresa vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Santa Teresa $3,061
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Santa Teresa costs about 27% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santa Teresa sits 13% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.90 ₡4,459

$10.67 MX$199

-7.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.31 ₡19.1K

$43.80 MX$815

-3.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.71 ₡4,374

$11.79 MX$219

-17.64%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ₡1,667

$3.79 MX$70.5

-2.37%

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

$2.04 ₡917

$1.30 MX$24.14

56.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡735

$0.83 MX$15.51

96.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 ₡1,366

$3.15 MX$58.6

-3.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,048

$4.93 MX$91.8

-7.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₡925

$1.41 MX$26.22

45.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 ₡1,270

$2.20 MX$40.86

28.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ₡972

$1.47 MX$27.40

46.94%

Eggs

$2.98 ₡1,344

$2.50 MX$46.46

19.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 ₡4,509

$7.29 MX$136

37.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 ₡4,042

$7.95 MX$148

12.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.60 ₡6,127

$12.86 MX$239

5.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 ₡2,052

$2.90 MX$53.9

57.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ₡651

$1.38 MX$25.74

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 ₡1,856

$2.49 MX$46.35

65.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,385

$2.03 MX$37.77

51.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$2.02 MX$37.68

67.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ₡1,161

$1.90 MX$35.42

35.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡455

$1.14 MX$21.30

-11.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₡1,282

$1.24 MX$23.05

129.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 ₡2,292

$4.27 MX$79.5

19.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.79 ₡6,211

$9.81 MX$183

40.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₡1,063

$1.59 MX$29.51

48.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ₡1,179

$2.75 MX$51.1

-4.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₡433

$0.51 MX$9.58

88.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₡830

$4.76 MX$88.6

-61.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 ₡826

$3.25 MX$60.5

-43.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 ₡3,580

$5.39 MX$100

47.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₡659

$1.53 MX$28.44

-4.58%

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

$38.4K ₡17.3M

$21.2K MX$394.8K

80.96%

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

$32.7K ₡14.7M

$23.3K MX$432.9K

40.69%

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

$84.9 ₡38.2K

$83.5 MX$1,554

1.69%

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

$26.16 ₡11.8K

$23.19 MX$431

12.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 ₡22.7K

$27.61 MX$514

82.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 ₡22.6K

$56.4 MX$1,050

-11.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.66 ₡10.7K

$28.19 MX$525

-16.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ₡4,004

$5.00 MX$93.1

77.80%

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

$573 ₡257.9K

$207 MX$3,854

176.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ₡5.6M

$5,231 MX$97.3K

137.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 ₡27.8K

$43.45 MX$809

42.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 ₡23.0K

$42.54 MX$792

20.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.4K

$72.8 MX$1,354

75.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡48.0K

$88.4 MX$1,645

20.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 ₡318.2K

$995 MX$18.5K

-28.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 ₡266.6K

$382 MX$7,116

54.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 ₡657.9K

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-12.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 ₡430.0K

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-11.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

11.45

-11.18%

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

Last update for Santa Teresa: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Teresa

$592 38.7%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 35.4% $209

Groceries & Markets

Santa Teresa

$346 22.6%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 25.7% $89

Eating Out

Santa Teresa

$192 12.5%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 4.5% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Teresa

$161 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 16.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Teresa

$156 10.2%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 28.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Teresa

$68 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 2.1% $1.4

Getting Around

Santa Teresa

$15 * 1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 240% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $706 in Santa Teresa versus $995 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Santa Teresa versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Santa Teresa vs $257 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Teresa

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:08 3:08 AM

04:08 4:08 AM

1 h ahead of Santa Teresa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,099

149,923

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Santa Teresa Playa del Carmen 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Santa Teresa is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,295 per month in Santa Teresa and $1,804 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 Teresa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $706 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,530 in Santa Teresa and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 21% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $573 per month in Santa Teresa and $207 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 $1,202, than in Santa Teresa at $1,530. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Teresa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,202 versus $1,530 in Santa Teresa. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.