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: $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,115 in Antigua Guatemala versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,950 in Antigua Guatemala versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Antigua Guatemala is roughly 2% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antigua Guatemala 4% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.19 Q 39.54

$11.99 MX$210

-56.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 Q 406

$41.78 MX$733

27.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.35 Q 48.41

$10.75 MX$189

-40.93%

Cappuccino

$3.42 Q 26.05

$3.50 MX$61.3

-2.29%

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

$1.19 Q 9.07

$1.45 MX$25.41

-17.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 Q 7.39

$0.88 MX$15.52

10.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 Q 29.89

$2.95 MX$51.7

32.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 Q 35.72

$4.51 MX$79.1

3.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 Q 14.54

$1.43 MX$25.12

33.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 Q 24.20

$1.84 MX$32.23

72.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 Q 12.09

$1.57 MX$27.51

1.27%

Eggs

$2.53 Q 19.31

$2.51 MX$44.06

0.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.46 Q 56.9

$8.28 MX$145

-9.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 Q 64.4

$8.43 MX$148

0.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 Q 77.6

$10.68 MX$187

-4.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 Q 27.81

$2.61 MX$45.76

39.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.56

$1.44 MX$25.22

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 Q 24.02

$1.96 MX$34.41

60.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 Q 12.11

$2.09 MX$36.74

-23.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 Q 13.34

$1.85 MX$32.47

-5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 Q 13.47

$2.17 MX$38.02

-18.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 Q 5.59

$1.03 MX$18.09

-29.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 Q 9.15

$1.07 MX$18.84

12.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 Q 27.15

$4.10 MX$72.0

-13.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 Q 61.5

$10.17 MX$178

-20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 Q 12.77

$1.68 MX$29.38

-0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 Q 19.16

$2.53 MX$44.31

-0.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 Q 15.61

$0.51 MX$8.93

301.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 Q 35.93

$3.23 MX$56.7

45.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 Q 120

$3.23 MX$56.6

388.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 Q 8.49

$1.32 MX$23.17

-15.91%

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

$19.4K Q 148.1K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-34.57%

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

$22.5K Q 171.5K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

-4.91%

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

$49.84 Q 380

$82.0 MX$1,439

-39.23%

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

$26.09 Q 199

$22.95 MX$403

13.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.09 Q 374

$30.11 MX$528

63.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.22 Q 307

$52.0 MX$912

-22.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.79 Q 212

$18.53 MX$325

49.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 Q 55.2

$4.98 MX$87.3

45.38%

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

$249 Q 1,894

$197 MX$3,463

25.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Q 44.6K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

9.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.36 Q 361

$35.60 MX$624

33.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 Q 412

$40.33 MX$707

33.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 Q 764

$78.8 MX$1,381

27.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 Q 655

$88.9 MX$1,560

-3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 Q 6,705

$947 MX$16.6K

-7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 Q 4,199

$474 MX$8,314

16.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 Q 15.5K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

23.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 Q 9,607

$1,211 MX$21.2K

4.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,046 Q 23.2K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-24.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 Q 9,189

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-81.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 Q 4,144

$654 MX$11.5K

-16.86%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Antigua Guatemala and $947 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: $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 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 ($1,281 vs $1,256 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: $880 in Antigua Guatemala versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $249 in Antigua Guatemala versus $197 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 $42.00 versus $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,281 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 2% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.