Cost of Living Comparison Between Antigua Guatemala and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Antigua Guatemala and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,267 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,111 in Antigua Guatemala versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,955 in Antigua Guatemala versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Antigua Guatemala costs roughly 2% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antigua Guatemala 5% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.12 Q 39.04

$11.73 MX$203

-56.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.2 Q 405

$41.62 MX$720

27.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 Q 49.49

$10.64 MX$184

-39.00%

Cappuccino

$3.40 Q 25.90

$3.52 MX$60.9

-3.41%

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

$1.22 Q 9.31

$1.51 MX$26.12

-19.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 Q 6.98

$0.97 MX$16.84

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 Q 29.46

$2.95 MX$51.0

31.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 Q 35.08

$4.45 MX$77.0

3.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 Q 14.79

$1.38 MX$23.93

40.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 Q 23.47

$1.89 MX$32.72

62.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 Q 12.52

$1.64 MX$28.32

Eggs

$2.55 Q 19.45

$2.51 MX$43.34

1.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 Q 58.3

$8.34 MX$144

-8.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 Q 64.6

$8.34 MX$144

1.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 Q 78.3

$10.73 MX$186

-4.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 Q 27.85

$2.60 MX$45.04

40.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Q 11.91

$1.46 MX$25.20

6.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 Q 23.47

$1.90 MX$32.87

62.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.59

$2.08 MX$35.91

-20.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 Q 13.39

$1.78 MX$30.71

-1.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 Q 13.15

$2.19 MX$37.80

-21.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Q 5.65

$1.04 MX$17.99

-28.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 Q 9.34

$1.08 MX$18.62

13.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 Q 27.50

$4.08 MX$70.6

-11.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 Q 60.8

$10.32 MX$178

-22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 Q 12.87

$1.71 MX$29.61

-1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 Q 18.48

$2.58 MX$44.54

-6.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 Q 15.03

$0.51 MX$8.81

286.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 Q 35.60

$3.26 MX$56.4

43.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.37 Q 117

$3.25 MX$56.2

372.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 Q 8.52

$1.31 MX$22.61

-14.50%

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

$19.6K Q 149.4K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-35.26%

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

$22.1K Q 168.2K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-5.77%

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

$48.43 Q 369

$82.9 MX$1,433

-41.56%

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

$26.09 Q 199

$22.22 MX$384

17.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.90 Q 373

$29.34 MX$507

66.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 Q 308

$51.6 MX$893

-21.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.77 Q 212

$18.32 MX$317

51.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.31 Q 55.7

$5.07 MX$87.6

44.18%

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

$246 Q 1,878

$201 MX$3,473

22.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,834 Q 44.5K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

11.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.64 Q 355

$36.92 MX$639

26.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 Q 409

$39.79 MX$688

34.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 Q 771

$78.5 MX$1,357

29.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 Q 639

$87.1 MX$1,506

-3.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 Q 6,701

$973 MX$16.8K

-9.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 Q 4,237

$468 MX$8,090

18.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 Q 15.3K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

22.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 Q 9,503

$1,221 MX$21.1K

2.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Q 22.8K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-24.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 Q 9,312

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-81.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$539 Q 4,104

$664 MX$11.5K

-18.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

11.42

-25.57%

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

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $879 in Antigua Guatemala and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

Antigua Guatemala vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antigua Guatemala and Playa del Carmen differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,267 vs $1,297 including rent). Antigua Guatemala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 23% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $879 in Antigua Guatemala versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $246 in Antigua Guatemala versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Antigua Guatemala – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,267 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Antigua Guatemala but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Antigua Guatemala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Antigua Guatemala and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Antigua Guatemala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.