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 $3,351 per month in St Lawrence vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,927 per month in St Lawrence vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,503 per month in St Lawrence vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St Lawrence costs about 166% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

St Lawrence sits 152% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.76 JEP 15.43

$11.72 MX$203

77.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 JEP 49.94

$41.89 MX$725

60.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 JEP 8.21

$10.51 MX$182

5.14%

Cappuccino

$4.11 JEP 3.06

$3.59 MX$62.0

14.48%

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

$1.35 JEP 1.00

$1.51 MX$26.10

-10.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 JEP 1.03

$0.92 MX$15.83

51.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 JEP 3.07

$2.96 MX$51.2

39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 JEP 5.16

$4.41 MX$76.3

57.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 JEP 1.27

$1.40 MX$24.16

22.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 JEP 1.48

$1.88 MX$32.60

5.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 JEP 1.49

$1.56 MX$26.97

28.21%

Eggs

$5.41 JEP 4.02

$2.61 MX$45.14

107.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.11 JEP 3.05

$8.32 MX$144

-50.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 JEP 8.91

$8.35 MX$145

43.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.92 JEP 5.14

$10.86 MX$188

-36.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 JEP 3.04

$2.71 MX$46.93

50.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 JEP 1.53

$1.51 MX$26.04

36.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 JEP 2.57

$1.87 MX$32.41

85.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 JEP 3.19

$2.19 MX$37.89

95.89%

Potato (1kg)

$4.00 JEP 2.97

$1.86 MX$32.14

115.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 JEP 2.00

$2.23 MX$38.59

21.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 JEP 1.53

$1.07 MX$18.48

92.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 JEP 1.22

$1.09 MX$18.79

50.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.35 JEP 8.43

$4.19 MX$72.4

170.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.76 JEP 8.00

$10.43 MX$180

3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.04 JEP 3.00

$1.66 MX$28.68

143.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 JEP 4.99

$2.61 MX$45.19

157.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 JEP 2.54

$0.54 MX$9.37

533.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.0 JEP 52.0

$26.16 MX$453

167.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 JEP 4.52

$3.08 MX$53.3

97.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.88 JEP 2.88

$2.40 MX$41.61

61.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 JEP 2.04

$3.13 MX$54.1

-12.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 JEP 1.49

$1.31 MX$22.69

52.67%

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

$22.8K JEP 16.9K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-23.51%

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

$34.3K JEP 25.5K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

47.27%

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

$134 JEP 99.2

$81.3 MX$1,406

64.28%

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

$24.87 JEP 18.48

$22.56 MX$390

10.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 JEP 50.8

$30.05 MX$520

127.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.9 JEP 66.8

$52.9 MX$915

69.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 JEP 15.11

$18.39 MX$318

10.60%

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 JEP 11.12

$4.92 MX$85.1

204.07%

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

$2,022 JEP 1,503

$201 MX$3,474

907.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K JEP 12.6K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

226.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 JEP 71.8

$35.92 MX$622

169.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.79 JEP 35.51

$40.13 MX$694

19.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 JEP 93.2

$79.7 MX$1,379

57.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 JEP 100

$86.5 MX$1,496

56.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 JEP 1,402

$978 MX$16.9K

92.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,110 JEP 1,568

$470 MX$8,140

348.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,454 JEP 2,566

$1,651 MX$28.6K

109.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,753 JEP 2,789

$1,203 MX$20.8K

211.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.75

11.42

-75.92%

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

Last update for St Lawrence: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,887 in St Lawrence versus $978 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 $67.0 in St Lawrence versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $252 – 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 166%, 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 $5,026 per month in St Lawrence and $1,890 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 $3,351 in St Lawrence and $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 168% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,260, than in St Lawrence at $3,351. 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.