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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,208 per month in St. Julians vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,301 per month in St. Julians vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,394 per month in St. Julians vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St. Julians costs about 70% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

St. Julians sits 65% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.59 €16.12

$11.73 MX$205

58.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 €69.6

$41.62 MX$727

92.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.90

$10.64 MX$186

7.24%

Cappuccino

$3.08 €2.67

$3.52 MX$61.4

-12.50%

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

$2.72 €2.36

$1.51 MX$26.37

80.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.97 MX$17.00

82.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 €4.09

$2.95 MX$51.5

59.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.93

$4.45 MX$77.8

1.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.38 MX$24.16

-1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.89 MX$33.03

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 €2.82

$1.64 MX$28.59

98.17%

Eggs

$3.59 €3.12

$2.51 MX$43.76

43.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 €7.83

$8.34 MX$146

8.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 €9.17

$8.34 MX$146

26.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 €11.87

$10.73 MX$187

27.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 €2.80

$2.60 MX$45.47

24.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.46 MX$25.45

39.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 €2.47

$1.90 MX$33.19

49.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 €2.78

$2.08 MX$36.26

54.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.63

$1.78 MX$31.01

5.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 €2.54

$2.19 MX$38.16

33.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.62

$1.04 MX$18.16

79.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.81

$1.08 MX$18.80

-13.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 €5.58

$4.08 MX$71.3

57.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 €5.47

$10.32 MX$180

-38.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.71 MX$29.90

23.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.60

$2.58 MX$44.97

-28.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.03

$0.51 MX$8.90

358.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 €6.17

$3.26 MX$57.0

118.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 €0.78

$2.49 MX$43.50

-63.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.08 €34.77

$3.25 MX$56.7

1133.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.38

$1.31 MX$22.83

21.37%

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

$25.3K €21.9K

$30.3K MX$528.8K

-16.61%

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

$28.5K €24.7K

$23.4K MX$409.2K

21.47%

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

$75.8 €65.7

$82.9 MX$1,447

-8.58%

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

$28.80 €24.99

$22.22 MX$388

29.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.04 €28.66

$29.34 MX$512

12.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 €93.4

$51.6 MX$902

108.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.37 €32.42

$18.32 MX$320

103.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 €9.00

$5.07 MX$88.5

104.54%

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

$581 €504

$201 MX$3,507

189.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,776

$5,212 MX$91.0K

116.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$36.92 MX$645

172.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.4 €64.5

$39.79 MX$695

86.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 €104

$78.5 MX$1,370

52.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 €161

$87.1 MX$1,521

112.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 €1,190

$973 MX$17.0K

41.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 €957

$468 MX$8,168

135.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 €1,954

$1,641 MX$28.7K

37.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 €1,547

$1,221 MX$21.3K

46.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,973 €3,447

$3,946 MX$68.9K

0.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,685 €2,329

$6,498 MX$113.5K

-58.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,103 €1,824

$664 MX$11.6K

216.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

11.42

-57.36%

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

Last update for St. Julians: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,372 in St. Julians versus $973 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 run about 217% higher in St. Julians, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in St. Julians versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $249 – 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. Julians vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St. Julians is pricier by about 70%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,311 per month in St. Julians and $1,945 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,208 in St. Julians and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $581 per month in St. Julians and $201 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 $1,297, than in St. Julians at $2,208. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Julians it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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