Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antigua Guatemala and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Antigua Guatemala and in Playa del Carmen: $1,267 and $1,210 a month, rent and utilities included.

61

Cost of Living Index in Antigua Guatemala
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Antigua Guatemala Living Index
59

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

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Antigua Guatemala

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,267

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,267 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Antigua Guatemala $1,267
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,106 in Antigua Guatemala versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Antigua Guatemala $2,106
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,945 in Antigua Guatemala versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Antigua Guatemala $2,945
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Antigua Guatemala is roughly 5% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antigua Guatemala 6% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.60 Q 50.4

$10.76 MX$199

-38.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 Q 393

$43.03 MX$795

19.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 Q 60.5

$11.79 MX$218

-32.91%

Cappuccino

$3.24 Q 24.80

$3.87 MX$71.4

-16.28%

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

$1.16 Q 8.84

$1.37 MX$25.29

-15.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 Q 7.00

$0.84 MX$15.44

9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Q 24.35

$3.10 MX$57.3

2.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 Q 35.68

$5.07 MX$93.6

-7.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 Q 16.02

$1.44 MX$26.55

45.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 Q 24.00

$2.23 MX$41.23

40.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 Q 15.00

$1.47 MX$27.17

33.33%

Eggs

$2.32 Q 17.74

$2.53 MX$46.71

-8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 Q 41.44

$7.30 MX$135

-25.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 Q 70.4

$7.86 MX$145

17.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.21 Q 78.0

$12.79 MX$236

-20.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 Q 29.55

$2.90 MX$53.6

33.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Q 12.57

$1.44 MX$26.53

13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 Q 21.50

$2.55 MX$47.07

10.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 Q 12.66

$2.06 MX$38.03

-19.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 Q 11.24

$2.00 MX$36.97

-26.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 Q 13.23

$2.01 MX$37.07

-13.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.31

$1.19 MX$22.02

-42.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Q 9.29

$1.26 MX$23.23

-3.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 Q 29.36

$4.40 MX$81.4

-12.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 Q 58.8

$9.59 MX$177

-19.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 Q 13.67

$1.59 MX$29.41

12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 Q 20.76

$2.81 MX$51.9

-3.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 Q 19.76

$0.57 MX$10.47

352.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 Q 35.84

$4.98 MX$92.1

-5.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 Q 81.2

$5.40 MX$99.8

96.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 Q 10.16

$1.47 MX$27.08

-9.52%

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

$22.7K Q 173.6K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

8.22%

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

$21.8K Q 166.8K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-8.75%

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

$57.4 Q 439

$84.2 MX$1,556

-31.85%

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

$29.74 Q 227

$23.99 MX$443

23.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.70 Q 349

$29.02 MX$536

57.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.50 Q 317

$63.0 MX$1,164

-34.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.20 Q 216

$29.14 MX$539

-3.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 Q 48.83

$4.94 MX$91.3

29.35%

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

$346 Q 2,645

$204 MX$3,763

69.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,755 Q 51.6K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

71.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.31 Q 339

$43.60 MX$806

1.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 Q 367

$43.12 MX$797

11.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 Q 704

$75.8 MX$1,400

21.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 Q 611

$88.6 MX$1,637

-9.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 Q 6,610

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-14.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 Q 4,059

$374 MX$6,911

41.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,864 Q 14.3K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

9.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 Q 9,024

$1,106 MX$20.4K

6.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,064 Q 23.4K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-22.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,227 Q 9,385

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-80.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 Q 4,786

$754 MX$13.9K

-17.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

11.45

1.48%

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

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Antigua Guatemala

$531 41.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 29.5% $157

Groceries & Markets

Antigua Guatemala

$266 21%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 2.9% $7.6

Eating Out

Antigua Guatemala

$149 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 35.8% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antigua Guatemala

$133 10.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 3.3% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

Antigua Guatemala

$119 9.4%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 5% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Antigua Guatemala

$54 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 34.2% $19

Getting Around

Antigua Guatemala

$15 * 1.2%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 250% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $865 in Antigua Guatemala and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Antigua Guatemala vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Antigua Guatemala

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:48 4:48 AM

05:48 5:48 AM

1 h ahead of Antigua Guatemala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,054

149,923

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GTQ – Guatemalan Quetzal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇹 Guatemalan Quetzal (Q)

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to GTQ in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Antigua Guatemala Playa del Carmen 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Antigua Guatemala
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

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

Antigua Guatemala and Playa del Carmen differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,267 vs $1,210 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $865 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $346 in Antigua Guatemala versus $204 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 Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $51.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,267 in Antigua Guatemala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Antigua Guatemala. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.