Comparación del coste de vida entre Cartago y Playa del Carmen Comparación del coste de vida entre Cartago y Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $830 per month in Cartago vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,258 per month in Cartago vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,686 per month in Cartago vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cartago is about 35% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cartago and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Cartago 38% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.69 COP 13.4K

$11.94 MX$208

-69.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.64 COP 104.2K

$42.75 MX$744

-33.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 COP 26.1K

$10.59 MX$184

-32.39%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,911

$3.62 MX$63.0

-54.97%

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

$0.94 COP 3,424

$1.47 MX$25.54

-36.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 COP 2,041

$0.94 MX$16.41

-40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 COP 3,691

$3.09 MX$53.8

-67.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 COP 9,137

$4.46 MX$77.6

-43.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 COP 4,583

$1.43 MX$24.80

-11.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 COP 5,498

$1.88 MX$32.79

-19.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 COP 4,514

$1.63 MX$28.34

-23.93%

Eggs

$2.58 COP 9,382

$2.64 MX$45.99

-2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.15 COP 15.1K

$8.21 MX$143

-49.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 COP 20.0K

$8.29 MX$144

-33.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 COP 28.2K

$11.10 MX$193

-30.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 COP 9,090

$2.65 MX$46.14

-5.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 COP 3,529

$1.50 MX$26.11

-35.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,180

$1.99 MX$34.59

-42.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 COP 4,551

$2.08 MX$36.13

-39.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 COP 3,186

$1.79 MX$31.11

-50.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,040

$2.18 MX$37.87

-49.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 COP 2,616

$1.08 MX$18.73

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 COP 2,477

$1.04 MX$18.04

-34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 COP 10.3K

$3.97 MX$69.1

-28.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 COP 41.6K

$10.20 MX$178

12.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,914

$1.73 MX$30.04

-37.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 COP 6,982

$2.50 MX$43.46

-23.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 COP 2,668

$0.52 MX$9.02

40.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.35 COP 110.4K

$26.97 MX$469

12.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 COP 5,778

$3.14 MX$54.7

-49.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 7,081

$2.40 MX$41.80

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.46 COP 34.4K

$3.09 MX$53.7

206.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,448

$1.27 MX$22.16

-25.20%

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

$22.2K COP 80.8M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-28.03%

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

$29.9K COP 108.6M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

28.04%

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

$81.2 COP 295.2K

$82.0 MX$1,427

-1.02%

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

$9.09 COP 33.1K

$22.45 MX$391

-59.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 88.6K

$29.66 MX$516

-17.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.12 COP 84.1K

$51.9 MX$903

-55.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 COP 17.1K

$4.97 MX$86.5

-5.43%

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

$222 COP 807.6K

$198 MX$3,442

12.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,904 COP 21.5M

$5,273 MX$91.7K

11.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 COP 229.7K

$36.34 MX$632

73.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.18 COP 160.7K

$40.05 MX$697

10.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 COP 285.7K

$79.9 MX$1,390

-1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 COP 327.1K

$88.9 MX$1,547

1.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 COP 1.0M

$963 MX$16.8K

-70.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 COP 857.5K

$465 MX$8,086

-49.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 COP 1.9M

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-67.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 COP 1.6M

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-64.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,776 COP 6.5M

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-54.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,493 COP 5.4M

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-76.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$327 COP 1.2M

$720 MX$12.5K

-54.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

11.42

1.40%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Cartago: April 26, 2026

Última actualización para Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $288 in Cartago versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 120% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Cartago versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $251 – making Cartago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Cartago vs Playa del Carmen: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 55%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,245 per month in Cartago and $1,930 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cartago, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $830 in Cartago and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Cartago. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cartago, where all-in costs run around $830, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Cartago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cartago – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cartago. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.