Playa del CarmenvsSan Salvador
💰
San Salvador saves you $500/month
29% cheaper on rent, food & transport
🌡️
Tropical Wet vs Tropical Monsoon climate
Different weather patterns year-round
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Playa del Carmen
San Salvador
Total Budget
$1,700/mo
$1,200/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$600/mo
$550/mo ✓
Coworking
$180/mo
$100/mo ✓
Meal Out
$6
$4 ✓
Coffee
$3
$3
San Salvador is $500/mo cheaper (42% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
📶 Internet50 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-6
🗣️ Englishhigh
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London5h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🌍 San Salvador
📶 Internet70 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-6
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London5h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Playa del Carmen
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp27°C
Rainy Days164/year
Best months: February, March, April, May
San Salvador
ClimateTropical Monsoon
Avg Temp24°C
Rainy Days201/year
Best months: February, January, March, December
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
24°24°
Apr
27°25°
Jul
29°24°
Oct
27°23°
Playa del CarmenSan Salvador
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇲🇽Playa del Carmen
🌍San Salvador
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,700
$1,200
Winner📶
Internet Speed
50 Mbps
70 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
3.3/5
4/5
Winner⭐
Nomad Score
3.9/10
3.8/10
🍽️
Food Scene
8/10
8/10
🎉
Nightlife
9/10
Winner7/10
🚶
Walkability
8/10
Winner5/10
👥
Community
large
Winnersmall
3
Playa del Carmen wins
vs
3
San Salvador wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
San Salvador
$500/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Either works
Both have adequate internet for development work
🦋Social Butterfly
Playa del Carmen
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
San Salvador
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Playa del Carmen
World-famous nightlife scene
🇲🇽Playa del Carmen
Pros
- +Caribbean beach paradise with turquoise waters
- +Same timezone as US East Coast (GMT-5)
- +Huge international digital nomad community
- +Easy 180-day tourist visa on arrival
Cons
- −Sargassum seaweed problem on beaches
- −Tourist trap pricing on 5th Avenue
- −Police corruption and scams reported
- −Cartel presence though tourists rarely affected
🌍San Salvador
Pros
- +Uses USD as currency - no exchange hassle
- +Dramatic safety improvement under Bukele (1.9 homicides per 100k)
- +Affordable cost of living for Central America
- +Excellent pupusas and local cuisine
Cons
- −Limited coworking infrastructure compared to major nomad hubs
- −Traffic congestion and poor walkability
- −State of Exception raises human rights concerns
- −Rainy season can disrupt outdoor activities
