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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,320 per month in St. Thomas vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,337 per month in St. Thomas vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,355 per month in St. Thomas vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St. Thomas costs about 80% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

St. Thomas sits 73% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.29 CA$27.80

$11.94 MX$208

69.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 CA$103

$42.75 MX$744

75.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.52 CA$15.78

$10.59 MX$184

8.78%

Cappuccino

$3.48 CA$4.77

$3.62 MX$63.0

-3.87%

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

$1.82 CA$2.50

$1.47 MX$25.54

23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.38

$0.94 MX$16.41

85.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 CA$7.15

$3.09 MX$53.8

68.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 CA$7.98

$4.46 MX$77.6

30.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 CA$2.76

$1.43 MX$24.80

41.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.66

$1.88 MX$32.79

42.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.48

$1.63 MX$28.34

100.61%

Eggs

$3.08 CA$4.22

$2.64 MX$45.99

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 CA$13.01

$8.21 MX$143

15.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 CA$15.59

$8.29 MX$144

37.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.56 CA$21.32

$11.10 MX$193

40.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 CA$5.49

$2.65 MX$46.14

51.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.69

$1.50 MX$26.11

-17.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.56

$1.99 MX$34.59

67.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.12

$2.08 MX$36.13

79.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.09

$1.79 MX$31.11

67.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.45

$2.18 MX$37.87

15.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 CA$3.16

$1.08 MX$18.73

112.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.03

$1.04 MX$18.04

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 CA$14.87

$3.97 MX$69.1

173.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 CA$17.96

$10.20 MX$178

28.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 CA$2.84

$1.73 MX$30.04

20.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 CA$3.40

$2.50 MX$43.46

-0.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 CA$3.28

$0.52 MX$9.02

361.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 CA$87.0

$26.97 MX$469

135.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 CA$3.14

$3.14 MX$54.7

-27.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 CA$2.39

$2.40 MX$41.80

-27.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.76 CA$42.15

$3.09 MX$53.7

895.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.51

$1.27 MX$22.16

-13.39%

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

$25.3K CA$34.6K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-18.20%

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

$20.2K CA$27.6K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

-13.56%

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

$135 CA$184

$82.0 MX$1,427

64.14%

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

$54.1 CA$74.2

$22.45 MX$391

141.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 CA$77.9

$29.66 MX$516

91.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 CA$57.3

$51.9 MX$903

-19.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 CA$15.31

$4.97 MX$86.5

124.95%

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

$559 CA$766

$198 MX$3,442

182.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CA$15.0K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

108.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 CA$75.2

$36.34 MX$632

51.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$52.2

$40.05 MX$697

-4.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 CA$116

$79.9 MX$1,390

5.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CA$111

$88.9 MX$1,547

-9.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 CA$1,621

$963 MX$16.8K

22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 CA$1,586

$465 MX$8,086

149.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 CA$2,784

$1,596 MX$27.8K

27.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,846 CA$2,529

$1,209 MX$21.0K

52.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,827 CA$6,612

$3,942 MX$68.6K

22.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,741 CA$5,124

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-41.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 CA$4,136

$720 MX$12.5K

319.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.42

-42.64%

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

Last update for St. Thomas: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,183 in St. Thomas versus $963 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 319% higher in St. Thomas, 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 $75.0 in St. Thomas versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $251 – 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. Thomas vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St. Thomas is pricier by about 80%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,480 per month in St. Thomas and $1,930 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 $2,320 in St. Thomas and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 135% 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 $1,287, than in St. Thomas at $2,320. 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, St. Thomas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.