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: $949 in Antofagasta versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,517 in Antofagasta versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,086 in Antofagasta versus $2,980 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 29% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.49 CLP 6,734

$11.87 MX$204

-36.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.74 CLP 33.9K

$42.90 MX$736

-12.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 CLP 7,229

$10.65 MX$183

-24.51%

Cappuccino

$2.76 CLP 2,481

$3.45 MX$59.2

-20.00%

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

$1.36 CLP 1,219

$1.50 MX$25.81

-9.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 CLP 802

$0.95 MX$16.28

-6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.65 CLP 1,482

$3.03 MX$51.9

-45.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 CLP 3,852

$4.61 MX$79.1

-6.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 CLP 1,005

$1.38 MX$23.61

-18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 CLP 1,632

$1.85 MX$31.70

-1.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 CLP 1,140

$1.61 MX$27.65

-21.12%

Eggs

$2.97 CLP 2,671

$2.59 MX$44.51

14.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 CLP 8,988

$8.26 MX$142

21.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 CLP 3,702

$8.37 MX$144

-50.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.93 CLP 8,026

$10.66 MX$183

-16.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 CLP 1,960

$2.63 MX$45.12

-17.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 CLP 2,047

$1.49 MX$25.53

53.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 CLP 2,295

$1.92 MX$32.94

32.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 CLP 1,055

$2.09 MX$35.81

-44.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 CLP 866

$1.86 MX$31.88

-48.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 CLP 861

$2.26 MX$38.81

-57.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 CLP 1,119

$1.06 MX$18.23

17.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 CLP 1,052

$1.09 MX$18.67

7.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.83 CLP 4,340

$4.15 MX$71.2

16.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 CLP 5,464

$10.39 MX$178

-41.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CLP 1,398

$1.72 MX$29.59

-9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CLP 1,222

$2.61 MX$44.85

-47.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 CLP 611

$0.54 MX$9.30

25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 CLP 458

$3.13 MX$53.7

-83.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 CLP 1,252

$1.27 MX$21.88

9.45%

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

$19.8K CLP 17.8M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-34.87%

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

$21.6K CLP 19.4M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-8.23%

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

$47.96 CLP 43.1K

$83.0 MX$1,425

-42.22%

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

$10.35 CLP 9,301

$22.71 MX$390

-54.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.46 CLP 12.1K

$29.46 MX$506

-54.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.46 CLP 39.1K

$51.0 MX$875

-14.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.15 CLP 19.0K

$18.33 MX$315

15.38%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 CLP 4,819

$4.93 MX$84.5

8.72%

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

$271 CLP 243.8K

$197 MX$3,386

37.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,287 CLP 3.0M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-37.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.09 CLP 37.8K

$36.90 MX$633

14.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.12 CLP 14.5K

$39.89 MX$685

-59.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 CLP 54.8K

$80.0 MX$1,373

-23.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.6 CLP 64.4K

$89.5 MX$1,536

-19.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$472 CLP 424.0K

$956 MX$16.4K

-50.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 CLP 342.6K

$477 MX$8,189

-20.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 CLP 766.9K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-48.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 CLP 632.5K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-42.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$745 CLP 669.2K

$667 MX$11.4K

11.64%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $472 in Antofagasta and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Antofagasta vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $250 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 12% 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: $472 in Antofagasta versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $271 in Antofagasta 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 Antofagasta – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $949 in Antofagasta versus $1,271 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 $949 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.