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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,444 in Cartagena versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Cartagena versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,612 in Cartagena versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cartagena is roughly 15% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartagena is 8% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.88 €12.13

$11.99 MX$210

15.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €51.5

$41.78 MX$731

41.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 €7.27

$10.75 MX$188

-22.60%

Cappuccino

$2.63 €2.30

$3.50 MX$61.1

-24.86%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.45 MX$25.33

71.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.88 MX$15.47

126.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 €3.08

$2.95 MX$51.6

19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €3.02

$4.51 MX$78.9

-23.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.43 MX$25.04

-20.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.84 MX$32.13

-42.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.45

$1.57 MX$27.42

5.73%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.52

$2.51 MX$43.92

14.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 €9.87

$8.28 MX$145

36.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 €7.51

$8.43 MX$147

1.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 €12.26

$10.68 MX$187

31.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €1.98

$2.61 MX$45.62

-13.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.44 MX$25.15

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.96 MX$34.31

-29.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 €1.50

$2.09 MX$36.62

-18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.85 MX$32.37

-29.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 €0.93

$2.17 MX$37.90

-51.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.03 MX$18.04

5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 €0.46

$1.07 MX$18.78

-51.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.67 €4.96

$4.10 MX$71.7

38.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 €5.38

$10.17 MX$178

-39.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.68 MX$29.29

-32.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.13

$2.53 MX$44.17

-49.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 €1.25

$0.51 MX$8.90

180.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.35 €9.91

$26.04 MX$455

-56.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.23 MX$56.5

6.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 €1.06

$2.41 MX$42.06

-49.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.44 €21.35

$3.23 MX$56.5

656.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.60

$1.32 MX$23.10

38.64%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

2.66%

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

$30.7K €26.8K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

29.78%

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

$145 €127

$82.0 MX$1,434

76.55%

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

$13.60 €11.88

$22.95 MX$401

-40.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.84 €26.94

$30.11 MX$527

2.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 €34.79

$52.0 MX$909

-23.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.18 €13.26

$18.53 MX$324

-18.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.04 €7.02

$4.98 MX$87.0

61.45%

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

$417 €364

$197 MX$3,452

111.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,827 €2,470

$5,336 MX$93.3K

-47.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.25 €39.54

$35.60 MX$622

27.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.22 €27.28

$40.33 MX$705

-22.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.71 €39.93

$78.8 MX$1,377

-41.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 €68.3

$88.9 MX$1,555

-12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 €679

$947 MX$16.6K

-17.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$609 €532

$474 MX$8,288

28.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 €783

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-45.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 €668

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-36.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,787 €1,561

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-55.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,423 €1,243

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-78.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,725 €1,507

$654 MX$11.4K

163.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

11.42

-69.88%

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

Last update for Cartagena: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $777 in Cartagena and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 164% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Cartagena vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $249, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Cartagena. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 164% higher in Cartagena, 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: $777 in Cartagena versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $59.0 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,444 per month in Cartagena versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,444 in Cartagena, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cartagena. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,256 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cartagena 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 15% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.