Cost of Living Comparison Between St.James and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between St.James and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $924 per month in St.James vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,643 per month in St.James vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,361 per month in St.James vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St.James is about 27% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both St.James and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – St.James 31% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.18 TTD 68.8

$11.87 MX$204

-14.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 TTD 589

$42.90 MX$736

102.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 TTD 50.6

$10.65 MX$183

-29.67%

Cappuccino

$3.61 TTD 24.42

$3.45 MX$59.2

4.64%

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

$1.08 TTD 7.31

$1.50 MX$25.81

-28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 TTD 5.32

$0.95 MX$16.28

-16.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 TTD 12.21

$3.03 MX$51.9

-40.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 TTD 20.74

$4.61 MX$79.1

-33.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.76 TTD 18.68

$1.38 MX$23.61

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 TTD 18.97

$1.85 MX$31.70

51.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 TTD 18.12

$1.61 MX$27.65

66.46%

Eggs

$5.08 TTD 34.33

$2.59 MX$44.51

96.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.81 TTD 52.8

$8.26 MX$142

-5.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 TTD 71.1

$8.37 MX$144

25.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 TTD 95.9

$10.66 MX$183

33.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 TTD 40.28

$2.63 MX$45.12

126.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 TTD 16.81

$1.49 MX$25.53

67.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 TTD 28.55

$1.92 MX$32.94

119.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 TTD 31.26

$2.09 MX$35.81

121.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 TTD 10.15

$1.86 MX$31.88

-19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 TTD 11.27

$2.26 MX$38.81

-26.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 TTD 13.11

$1.06 MX$18.23

83.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 TTD 9.53

$1.09 MX$18.67

29.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 TTD 39.62

$4.15 MX$71.2

41.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.70 TTD 126

$10.39 MX$178

79.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 TTD 14.68

$1.72 MX$29.59

26.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 TTD 19.18

$2.61 MX$44.85

8.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TTD 7.13

$3.13 MX$53.7

-66.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 TTD 8.64

$2.51 MX$43.09

-49.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.03 TTD 102

$3.15 MX$54.1

377.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 TTD 7.50

$1.27 MX$21.88

-12.60%

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

$33.3K TTD 225.5K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

9.80%

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

$39.0K TTD 263.6K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

65.45%

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

$81.3 TTD 549

$83.0 MX$1,425

-2.11%

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

$46.23 TTD 313

$22.71 MX$390

103.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 TTD 410

$29.46 MX$506

105.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 TTD 69.5

$4.93 MX$84.5

108.52%

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

$329 TTD 2,224

$197 MX$3,386

66.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,199 TTD 48.7K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

36.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 TTD 407

$36.90 MX$633

63.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.56 TTD 261

$39.89 MX$685

-3.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 TTD 981

$80.0 MX$1,373

81.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 TTD 876

$89.5 MX$1,536

44.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

11.42

-52.89%

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

Last update for St.James: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in St.James versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $376 vs $250 – 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

St.James vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 37%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,386 per month in St.James and $1,906 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 $924 in St.James and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $329 per month in St.James 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in St.James, where all-in costs run around $924, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In St.James it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St.James – 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 St.James. 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.