Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St John and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $322 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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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St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$322

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $322 per month in St John vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St John $322
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $927 per month in St John vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St John $927
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,531 per month in St John vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St John $1,531
Playa del Carmen $2,959

St John is about 73% cheaper than Playa del Carmen.

Both St John and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – St John 76% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.06 $20.06

$10.92 MX$203

83.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$174 $174

$43.37 MX$805

302.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

Cappuccino

$7.14 $7.14

$3.81 MX$70.7

87.40%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.28 MX$23.81

129.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.78 MX$14.54

151.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.17 MX$58.8

153.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 $8.09

$4.93 MX$91.7

64.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.12

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.17

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.32

Eggs

$2.52 MX$46.85

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.41

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.37

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.43

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.00

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.02

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$79.8

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$61.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.44 MX$26.82

12.50%

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

$20.7K MX$383.8K

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

$23.5K MX$435.8K

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

$84.8 MX$1,575

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

$23.41 MX$435

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$532

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,059

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$537

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.4

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

$207 MX$3,836

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K $13.3K

$3,927 MX$72.9K

238.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$805

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$770

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,378

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,657

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,072

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K $12.8K

$3,943 MX$73.2K

225.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,075 $5,075

$735 MX$13.6K

591.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.05

11.45

-38.43%

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

Last update for St John: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St John

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

St John

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

St John

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St John

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

St John

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

St John

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

St John

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in St John are about 6.9 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $174 in St John versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇻🇮 St John

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:36 10:36 PM

21:36 9:36 PM

1 h behind St John

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,743

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 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 November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

St John Playa del Carmen 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

St John
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 274% more than St John, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $483 per month in St John and $1,806 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 $322 in St John and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes St John about 73% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $174 in St John and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in St John, where all-in costs run around $322, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In St John it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen 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 $322 in St John to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.