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 $925 per month in St.James vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in St.James vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,247 per month in St.James vs $3,292 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 32% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.49 TTD 70.6

$11.60 MX$200

-9.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 TTD 589

$47.11 MX$812

85.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 TTD 61.0

$11.88 MX$205

-23.65%

Cappuccino

$3.69 TTD 24.83

$3.98 MX$68.6

-7.29%

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

$1.00 TTD 6.75

$1.43 MX$24.60

-30.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 TTD 5.11

$0.82 MX$14.22

-7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 TTD 15.27

$3.19 MX$55.0

-28.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 TTD 24.21

$6.79 MX$117

-46.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 TTD 16.90

$1.68 MX$28.89

49.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 TTD 16.67

$2.20 MX$37.88

12.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 TTD 19.17

$1.71 MX$29.45

66.67%

Eggs

$4.30 TTD 28.92

$2.74 MX$47.26

56.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.50 TTD 43.73

$9.58 MX$165

-32.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 TTD 67.1

$9.01 MX$155

10.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 TTD 78.3

$12.81 MX$221

-9.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.60 TTD 37.69

$2.89 MX$49.81

93.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 TTD 20.99

$1.50 MX$25.81

108.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 TTD 25.01

$2.15 MX$37.03

73.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 TTD 28.04

$2.26 MX$38.96

84.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 TTD 14.88

$1.98 MX$34.15

11.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 TTD 13.00

$1.99 MX$34.30

-3.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 TTD 12.37

$1.23 MX$21.28

49.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 TTD 9.01

$1.20 MX$20.63

11.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 TTD 40.50

$4.55 MX$78.5

32.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.94 TTD 127

$10.37 MX$179

82.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 TTD 14.88

$1.62 MX$27.91

36.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 TTD 20.10

$2.88 MX$49.67

3.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TTD 7.07

$5.39 MX$92.9

-80.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 TTD 8.34

$3.73 MX$64.3

-66.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.61 TTD 98.3

$5.77 MX$99.5

153.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 TTD 7.85

$1.54 MX$26.48

-24.03%

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

$37.5K TTD 252.2K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

66.21%

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

$40.4K TTD 271.7K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

54.99%

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

$91.7 TTD 617

$91.4 MX$1,576

0.37%

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

$52.6 TTD 354

$25.20 MX$435

108.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 TTD 377

$31.24 MX$539

79.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$8.90 TTD 59.9

$4.86 MX$83.8

83.13%

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

$404 TTD 2,716

$224 MX$3,856

80.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K TTD 72.7K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

155.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 TTD 365

$47.10 MX$812

15.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 TTD 350

$44.29 MX$764

17.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 TTD 985

$80.1 MX$1,381

82.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 TTD 691

$92.7 MX$1,598

10.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

11.45

-49.78%

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

Last update for St.James: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in St.James versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $276 – 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 $1,387 per month in St.James and $1,899 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 $925 in St.James and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $404 per month in St.James and $224 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 $925, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.