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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,091 in Calama versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,592 in Calama versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,094 in Calama versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Calama costs roughly 16% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Calama 19% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.90 CLP 7,014

$11.73 MX$203

-32.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.27 CLP 29.5K

$41.62 MX$720

-20.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 CLP 7,127

$10.64 MX$184

-24.53%

Cappuccino

$2.14 CLP 1,897

$3.52 MX$60.9

-39.20%

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

$0.94 CLP 833

$1.51 MX$26.12

-37.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 CLP 850

$0.97 MX$16.84

-1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 CLP 2,885

$2.95 MX$51.0

10.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 CLP 3,599

$4.45 MX$77.0

-8.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 CLP 1,042

$1.38 MX$23.93

-15.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 CLP 1,400

$1.89 MX$32.72

-16.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 CLP 1,701

$1.64 MX$28.32

17.07%

Eggs

$3.57 CLP 3,172

$2.51 MX$43.34

42.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 CLP 9,424

$8.34 MX$144

27.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 CLP 6,017

$8.34 MX$144

-18.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 CLP 9,833

$10.73 MX$186

3.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 CLP 1,680

$2.60 MX$45.04

-27.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,340

$1.46 MX$25.20

3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,422

$1.90 MX$32.87

-15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,324

$2.08 MX$35.91

-28.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 CLP 1,140

$1.78 MX$30.71

-28.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 CLP 1,240

$2.19 MX$37.80

-36.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 CLP 1,072

$1.04 MX$17.99

16.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CLP 1,056

$1.08 MX$18.62

10.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 CLP 4,742

$4.08 MX$70.6

30.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 CLP 5,497

$10.32 MX$178

-40.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,379

$1.71 MX$29.61

-9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 CLP 1,965

$2.58 MX$44.54

-14.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 CLP 546

$0.51 MX$8.81

21.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 CLP 420

$3.26 MX$56.4

-85.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 CLP 1,345

$2.49 MX$43.09

-38.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 CLP 1,397

$1.31 MX$22.61

19.85%

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

$19.7K CLP 17.5M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-34.96%

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

$21.8K CLP 19.4M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-6.81%

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

$132 CLP 116.9K

$82.9 MX$1,433

58.95%

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

$13.64 CLP 12.1K

$22.22 MX$384

-38.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.20 CLP 19.7K

$29.34 MX$507

-24.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.42 CLP 34.1K

$51.6 MX$893

-25.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.96 CLP 18.6K

$18.32 MX$317

14.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.76 CLP 5,113

$5.07 MX$87.6

13.61%

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

$433 CLP 383.9K

$201 MX$3,473

115.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 CLP 44.8K

$36.92 MX$639

36.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 CLP 27.0K

$39.79 MX$688

-23.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.2 CLP 54.3K

$78.5 MX$1,357

-21.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 CLP 73.7K

$87.1 MX$1,506

-4.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 CLP 316.0K

$973 MX$16.8K

-63.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 CLP 327.1K

$468 MX$8,090

-21.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 CLP 764.2K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-47.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 CLP 535.7K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-50.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,542 CLP 1.4M

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-60.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,365 CLP 1.2M

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-78.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,240 CLP 1.1M

$664 MX$11.5K

86.76%

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 Calama: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $356 in Calama and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Calama vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $249 per month, with Calama 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

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

Calama wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Calama pays 87% 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: $356 in Calama versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,091 per month in Calama versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,091 in Calama versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Calama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,091 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calama hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Calama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.