Cost of Living Comparison Between Antofagasta and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Antofagasta and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $961 in Antofagasta versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,507 in Antofagasta versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,053 in Antofagasta versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Antofagasta costs roughly 25% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antofagasta 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.36 CLP 6,595

$11.94 MX$208

-38.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.18 CLP 33.3K

$42.75 MX$744

-13.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 CLP 7,027

$10.59 MX$184

-25.87%

Cappuccino

$2.86 CLP 2,558

$3.62 MX$63.0

-20.99%

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

$1.31 CLP 1,175

$1.47 MX$25.54

-10.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 CLP 867

$0.94 MX$16.41

3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 CLP 1,430

$3.09 MX$53.8

-48.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 CLP 3,677

$4.46 MX$77.6

-8.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 CLP 1,028

$1.43 MX$24.80

-19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 CLP 1,574

$1.88 MX$32.79

-6.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 CLP 1,161

$1.63 MX$28.34

-20.25%

Eggs

$2.87 CLP 2,573

$2.64 MX$45.99

8.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 CLP 9,027

$8.21 MX$143

22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 CLP 3,897

$8.29 MX$144

-47.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.86 CLP 7,934

$11.10 MX$193

-20.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 CLP 1,894

$2.65 MX$46.14

-20.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 CLP 2,125

$1.50 MX$26.11

58.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 CLP 2,290

$1.99 MX$34.59

28.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 CLP 1,095

$2.08 MX$36.13

-41.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 CLP 859

$1.79 MX$31.11

-46.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 CLP 893

$2.18 MX$37.87

-54.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 CLP 1,103

$1.08 MX$18.73

13.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CLP 1,076

$1.04 MX$18.04

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 CLP 4,384

$3.97 MX$69.1

23.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 CLP 5,664

$10.20 MX$178

-38.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CLP 1,397

$1.73 MX$30.04

-9.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 CLP 1,291

$2.50 MX$43.46

-42.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 CLP 562

$0.52 MX$9.02

21.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 CLP 424

$3.14 MX$54.7

-85.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 CLP 1,266

$1.27 MX$22.16

11.02%

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

$19.7K CLP 17.6M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-36.32%

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

$21.4K CLP 19.1M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

-8.38%

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

$48.78 CLP 43.7K

$82.0 MX$1,427

-40.52%

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

$10.49 CLP 9,397

$22.45 MX$391

-53.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.25 CLP 11.9K

$29.66 MX$516

-55.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.75 CLP 39.2K

$51.9 MX$903

-15.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 CLP 19.1K

$18.67 MX$325

14.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 CLP 4,781

$4.97 MX$86.5

7.44%

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

$268 CLP 239.7K

$198 MX$3,442

35.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,408 CLP 3.1M

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-35.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.81 CLP 36.6K

$36.34 MX$632

12.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.11 CLP 14.4K

$40.05 MX$697

-59.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 CLP 55.0K

$79.9 MX$1,390

-23.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 CLP 63.2K

$88.9 MX$1,547

-20.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 CLP 417.7K

$963 MX$16.8K

-51.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 CLP 332.5K

$465 MX$8,086

-20.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 CLP 782.5K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-45.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 CLP 638.0K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-41.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$769 CLP 688.4K

$720 MX$12.5K

6.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

11.42

-54.64%

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

Last update for Antofagasta: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $466 in Antofagasta and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Antofagasta vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $251 per month, with Antofagasta 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

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

Antofagasta wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Antofagasta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Antofagasta pays 7% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $466 in Antofagasta versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $268 in Antofagasta versus $198 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 Antofagasta – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $961 in Antofagasta versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Antofagasta but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Antofagasta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Antofagasta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $961 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Antofagasta hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Antofagasta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.