Cost of Living Comparison Between St Lawrence and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between St Lawrence and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,194 per month in St Lawrence vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,208 per month in St Lawrence vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,222 per month in St Lawrence vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St Lawrence costs about 152% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

St Lawrence sits 133% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$40.02 JEP 29.69

$11.60 MX$200

245.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 JEP 88.8

$47.11 MX$812

153.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 JEP 8.05

$11.88 MX$205

-8.67%

Cappuccino

$5.05 JEP 3.74

$3.98 MX$68.6

26.88%

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

$3.31 JEP 2.46

$1.43 MX$24.60

131.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 JEP 1.86

$0.82 MX$14.22

204.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 JEP 5.95

$3.19 MX$55.0

151.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 JEP 4.83

$6.79 MX$117

-4.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 JEP 1.67

$1.68 MX$28.89

34.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 JEP 2.06

$2.20 MX$37.88

26.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 JEP 1.99

$1.71 MX$29.45

56.73%

Eggs

$5.78 JEP 4.29

$2.74 MX$47.26

110.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.27 JEP 5.39

$9.58 MX$165

-24.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.92 JEP 8.84

$9.01 MX$155

32.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 JEP 13.97

$12.81 MX$221

46.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 JEP 3.12

$2.89 MX$49.81

45.67%

Banana (1kg)

$3.60 JEP 2.67

$1.50 MX$25.81

140.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 JEP 3.07

$2.15 MX$37.03

92.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 JEP 3.41

$2.26 MX$38.96

103.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 JEP 2.38

$1.98 MX$34.15

62.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 JEP 2.35

$1.99 MX$34.30

59.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 JEP 1.41

$1.23 MX$21.28

54.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 JEP 1.84

$1.20 MX$20.63

106.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.23 JEP 15.01

$4.55 MX$78.5

344.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 JEP 8.08

$10.37 MX$179

5.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 JEP 3.41

$1.62 MX$27.91

183.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 JEP 5.87

$2.88 MX$49.67

174.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 JEP 3.96

$5.39 MX$92.9

-0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 JEP 1.82

$3.73 MX$64.3

-34.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.7 JEP 40.61

$5.77 MX$99.5

848.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 JEP 1.59

$1.54 MX$26.48

38.96%

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

$26.9K JEP 20.0K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

19.38%

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

$37.2K JEP 27.6K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

42.89%

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

$330 JEP 245

$91.4 MX$1,576

261.14%

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

$34.61 JEP 25.68

$25.20 MX$435

37.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 JEP 54.1

$31.24 MX$539

133.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.7 JEP 71.0

$67.2 MX$1,159

42.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$20.15 JEP 14.95

$4.86 MX$83.8

314.61%

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

$831 JEP 616

$224 MX$3,856

271.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K JEP 9,074

$4,229 MX$72.9K

189.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 JEP 77.2

$47.10 MX$812

120.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.2 JEP 54.3

$44.29 MX$764

65.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 JEP 89.4

$80.1 MX$1,381

50.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$208 JEP 154

$92.7 MX$1,598

124.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 JEP 1,290

$1,063 MX$18.3K

63.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 JEP 1,121

$390 MX$6,728

287.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,107 JEP 3,047

$2,149 MX$37.1K

91.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,323 JEP 2,466

$1,272 MX$21.9K

161.23%

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 %)

4.08

11.45

-64.37%

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

Last update for St Lawrence: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,738 in St Lawrence versus $1,063 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in St Lawrence versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $418 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 Lawrence vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St Lawrence is pricier by about 152%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,791 per month in St Lawrence and $1,899 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 $3,194 in St Lawrence 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 $831 per month in St Lawrence 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in St Lawrence at $3,194. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in St Lawrence 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 Lawrence makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.