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 $2,214 per month in St. Julians vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,325 per month in St. Julians vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,436 per month in St. Julians vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St. Julians costs about 76% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

St. Julians sits 66% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.24 €15.99

$11.99 MX$209

52.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 €69.6

$41.78 MX$727

90.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €10.04

$10.75 MX$187

6.60%

Cappuccino

$2.95 €2.58

$3.50 MX$60.8

-15.71%

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

$2.68 €2.35

$1.45 MX$25.21

84.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.88 MX$15.40

98.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.66 €4.09

$2.95 MX$51.3

57.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.01

$4.51 MX$78.5

1.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.43 MX$24.92

-4.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.84 MX$31.98

-20.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 €2.96

$1.57 MX$27.30

115.29%

Eggs

$3.62 €3.18

$2.51 MX$43.72

44.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 €7.76

$8.28 MX$144

7.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.74 €9.41

$8.43 MX$147

27.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.05 €12.32

$10.68 MX$186

31.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 €2.82

$2.61 MX$45.40

23.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.75

$1.44 MX$25.03

38.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 €2.52

$1.96 MX$34.15

46.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 €2.83

$2.09 MX$36.45

54.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.85 MX$32.22

0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 €2.47

$2.17 MX$37.72

29.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.03 MX$17.95

80.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.76

$1.07 MX$18.69

-18.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 €5.56

$4.10 MX$71.4

54.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 €5.24

$10.17 MX$177

-41.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.90

$1.68 MX$29.15

29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.53 MX$43.96

-26.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.04

$0.51 MX$8.86

356.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 €6.13

$3.23 MX$56.3

116.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 €0.75

$2.41 MX$41.86

-64.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.24 €36.16

$3.23 MX$56.2

1176.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.33

$1.32 MX$22.99

14.39%

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

$25.8K €22.6K

$29.7K MX$516.8K

-13.06%

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

$28.1K €24.6K

$23.7K MX$411.8K

18.76%

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

$76.4 €67.0

$82.0 MX$1,427

-6.90%

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

$29.09 €25.50

$22.95 MX$399

26.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.55 €29.41

$30.11 MX$524

11.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 €91.8

$52.0 MX$904

101.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.16 €32.58

$18.53 MX$322

100.54%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 €9.04

$4.98 MX$86.6

107.03%

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

$575 €504

$197 MX$3,436

191.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €10.0K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

113.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €91.1

$35.60 MX$619

191.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.9 €63.9

$40.33 MX$702

80.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €103

$78.8 MX$1,370

49.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$187 €164

$88.9 MX$1,548

109.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 €1,195

$947 MX$16.5K

43.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 €988

$474 MX$8,249

137.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,282 €2,001

$1,644 MX$28.6K

38.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,782 €1,563

$1,211 MX$21.1K

47.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 €3,458

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-2.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,642 €2,317

$6,470 MX$112.6K

-59.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,050 €1,798

$654 MX$11.4K

213.54%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,363 in St. Julians versus $947 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 214% 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 $79.0 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 76%, 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 $3,320 per month in St. Julians and $1,884 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 $2,214 in St. Julians and $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $575 per month in St. Julians 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in St. Julians at $2,214. 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.