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: $960 in Antofagasta versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,504 in Antofagasta versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,047 in Antofagasta versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Antofagasta costs roughly 24% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antofagasta 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 CLP 7,217

$11.72 MX$203

-33.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.62 CLP 35.0K

$41.89 MX$725

-10.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.80 CLP 7,253

$10.51 MX$182

-25.78%

Cappuccino

$2.80 CLP 2,601

$3.59 MX$62.0

-22.01%

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

$1.30 CLP 1,209

$1.51 MX$26.10

-13.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 CLP 833

$0.92 MX$15.83

-2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 CLP 1,518

$2.96 MX$51.2

-44.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 CLP 3,978

$4.41 MX$76.3

-2.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 CLP 1,033

$1.40 MX$24.16

-20.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 CLP 1,666

$1.88 MX$32.60

-4.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 CLP 1,180

$1.56 MX$26.97

-18.59%

Eggs

$3.01 CLP 2,798

$2.61 MX$45.14

15.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 CLP 9,386

$8.32 MX$144

21.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.23 CLP 3,931

$8.35 MX$145

-49.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 CLP 8,345

$10.86 MX$188

-17.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 CLP 2,044

$2.71 MX$46.93

-18.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 CLP 2,143

$1.51 MX$26.04

52.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 CLP 2,275

$1.87 MX$32.41

30.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 CLP 1,140

$2.19 MX$37.89

-43.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 CLP 887

$1.86 MX$32.14

-48.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 CLP 885

$2.23 MX$38.59

-57.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 CLP 1,111

$1.07 MX$18.48

11.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CLP 1,128

$1.09 MX$18.79

11.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 CLP 4,603

$4.19 MX$72.4

18.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 CLP 5,392

$10.43 MX$180

-44.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CLP 1,378

$1.66 MX$28.68

-10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CLP 1,278

$2.61 MX$45.19

-47.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 CLP 581

$0.54 MX$9.37

14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 CLP 474

$3.08 MX$53.3

-83.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CLP 1,353

$1.31 MX$22.69

10.69%

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

$19.2K CLP 17.9M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-35.61%

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

$21.3K CLP 19.9M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-8.53%

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

$48.73 CLP 45.3K

$81.3 MX$1,406

-40.05%

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

$10.36 CLP 9,636

$22.56 MX$390

-54.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.07 CLP 12.2K

$30.05 MX$520

-56.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.40 CLP 40.4K

$52.9 MX$915

-17.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 CLP 19.5K

$18.39 MX$318

13.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 CLP 5,112

$4.92 MX$85.1

11.59%

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

$267 CLP 248.2K

$201 MX$3,474

32.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,366 CLP 3.1M

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-34.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.13 CLP 39.2K

$35.92 MX$622

17.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.45 CLP 15.3K

$40.13 MX$694

-59.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.7 CLP 57.4K

$79.7 MX$1,379

-22.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.6 CLP 66.6K

$86.5 MX$1,496

-17.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 CLP 437.4K

$978 MX$16.9K

-51.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 CLP 351.9K

$470 MX$8,140

-19.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$854 CLP 794.5K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-48.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 CLP 653.0K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-41.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$734 CLP 683.2K

$677 MX$11.7K

8.51%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $470 in Antofagasta and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 9% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $252 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 31% 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.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Antofagasta, 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: $470 in Antofagasta versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in Antofagasta 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 Antofagasta – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $960 in Antofagasta versus $1,260 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 $960 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 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.