Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas, Canada and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,436 in St. Thomas, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in St. Thomas
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St. Thomas Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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St. Thomas

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,436

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,436 per month in St. Thomas vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St. Thomas $2,436
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,399 per month in St. Thomas vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St. Thomas $3,399
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,363 per month in St. Thomas vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St. Thomas $4,363
Playa del Carmen $2,959

St. Thomas costs about 102% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

St. Thomas sits 79% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.56 CA$30.13

$10.92 MX$205

97.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 CA$88.9

$43.37 MX$814

46.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 CA$15.67

$11.78 MX$221

-4.75%

Cappuccino

$3.45 CA$4.82

$3.81 MX$71.5

-9.45%

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

$2.11 CA$2.95

$1.28 MX$24.07

64.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$0.78 MX$14.70

108.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.85 CA$6.77

$3.17 MX$59.5

53.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 CA$8.59

$4.93 MX$92.7

24.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.10

$1.41 MX$26.40

57.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CA$3.85

$2.22 MX$41.62

24.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.28

$1.42 MX$26.61

166.20%

Eggs

$3.27 CA$4.57

$2.52 MX$47.36

29.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 CA$14.04

$7.26 MX$136

38.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.80 CA$22.07

$7.70 MX$144

105.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.72 CA$27.56

$12.69 MX$238

55.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.73

$2.78 MX$52.3

47.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.37 MX$25.68

-6.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.10

$2.55 MX$47.89

43.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.68

$2.12 MX$39.86

91.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 CA$4.61

$1.94 MX$36.39

70.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.27

$1.89 MX$35.41

61.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 CA$4.01

$1.15 MX$21.53

149.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.17

$1.18 MX$22.13

31.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.23 CA$15.70

$4.30 MX$80.6

161.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.51 CA$17.48

$9.95 MX$187

25.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.52

$1.58 MX$29.73

59.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.06

$2.67 MX$50.1

8.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 CA$3.06

$0.55 MX$10.39

298.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.2 CA$95.2

$26.62 MX$500

156.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 CA$3.32

$4.97 MX$93.3

-52.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 CA$2.32

$3.33 MX$62.5

-50.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.83 CA$31.91

$5.36 MX$101

325.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.44 MX$27.11

-18.75%

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

$27.0K CA$37.8K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

30.75%

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

$23.1K CA$32.2K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

-1.77%

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

$126 CA$176

$84.8 MX$1,592

48.47%

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

$42.99 CA$60.1

$23.41 MX$439

83.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 CA$80.2

$28.66 MX$538

100.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.32 CA$55.0

$57.1 MX$1,071

-31.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 CA$23.84

$28.91 MX$543

-40.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 CA$14.88

$5.14 MX$96.5

107.20%

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

$421 CA$588

$207 MX$3,878

103.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K CA$24.2K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

341.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 CA$75.4

$43.35 MX$814

24.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 CA$51.5

$41.44 MX$778

-11.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 CA$115

$74.2 MX$1,393

11.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 CA$126

$89.3 MX$1,676

1.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 CA$1,625

$980 MX$18.4K

18.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 CA$1,740

$381 MX$7,150

227.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,276 CA$3,180

$1,708 MX$32.1K

33.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 CA$2,319

$1,075 MX$20.2K

54.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,403 CA$6,152

$3,943 MX$74.0K

11.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,575 CA$4,996

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-41.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,004 CA$4,197

$735 MX$13.8K

308.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

11.45

-56.42%

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

Last update for St. Thomas: October 26, 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. Thomas

$1.2K 51.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 69.4% $864

Groceries & Markets

St. Thomas

$399 16.4%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 36.1% $144

Eating Out

St. Thomas

$299 12.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 32.3% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. Thomas

$226 9.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 39.5% $89

Clothing & Footwear

St. Thomas

$119 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 5.8% $6.9

Getting Around

St. Thomas

$88 3.6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 42.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

St. Thomas

$61 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 11.1% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,163 in St. Thomas versus $980 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 in St. Thomas are about 4.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in St. Thomas versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 St. Thomas

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:02 7:02 PM

Same time as St. Thomas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,909

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

St. Thomas Playa del Carmen 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – St. Thomas is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,654 per month in St. Thomas and $1,806 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,163 in St. Thomas.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,436 in St. Thomas and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 51% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 61% 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 $1,204, than in St. Thomas at $2,436. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Thomas 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.

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