Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carthage and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Carthage: $693 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Carthage
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Carthage Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Carthage

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$693

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Carthage and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Carthage and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $693 in Carthage versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Carthage $693
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,100 in Carthage versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Carthage $1,100
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,508 in Carthage versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Carthage $1,508
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Carthage costs roughly 43% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Carthage 49% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.09 TND 12.26

$10.76 MX$199

-61.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.71 TND 68.0

$43.03 MX$795

-47.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.89 TND 17.65

$11.79 MX$218

-50.04%

Cappuccino

$1.15 TND 3.44

$3.87 MX$71.4

-70.28%

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

$0.73 TND 2.20

$1.37 MX$25.29

-46.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 TND 0.88

$0.84 MX$15.44

-65.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 TND 5.08

$3.10 MX$57.3

-45.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 TND 6.14

$5.07 MX$93.6

-59.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.49 TND 1.46

$1.44 MX$26.55

-65.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.26 TND 0.78

$2.23 MX$41.23

-88.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 TND 5.33

$1.47 MX$27.17

21.09%

Eggs

$1.84 TND 5.50

$2.53 MX$46.71

-27.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 TND 30.56

$7.30 MX$135

39.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.74 TND 17.21

$7.86 MX$145

-26.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 TND 43.20

$12.79 MX$236

12.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 TND 3.92

$2.90 MX$53.6

-54.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.65 TND 10.93

$1.44 MX$26.53

153.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 TND 3.49

$2.55 MX$47.07

-54.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 TND 2.48

$2.06 MX$38.03

-59.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 TND 2.70

$2.00 MX$36.97

-55.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 TND 2.07

$2.01 MX$37.07

-65.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 TND 1.60

$1.19 MX$22.02

-55.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 TND 1.03

$1.26 MX$23.23

-73.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 TND 10.75

$4.40 MX$81.4

-18.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.62 TND 19.82

$9.59 MX$177

-30.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 TND 3.68

$1.59 MX$29.41

-22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 TND 3.72

$2.81 MX$51.9

-55.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 TND 1.30

$0.57 MX$10.47

-24.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.96 TND 41.82

$27.82 MX$514

-49.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 TND 0.92

$4.98 MX$92.1

-93.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 TND 1.03

$3.50 MX$64.6

-90.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 TND 5.34

$5.40 MX$99.8

-67.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 TND 2.63

$1.47 MX$27.08

-40.14%

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

$39.9K TND 119.4K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

89.97%

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

$35.4K TND 106.1K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

48.24%

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

$45.22 TND 135

$84.2 MX$1,556

-46.30%

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

$9.23 TND 27.63

$23.99 MX$443

-61.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.98 TND 62.9

$29.02 MX$536

-27.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.18 TND 96.4

$63.0 MX$1,164

-48.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.26 TND 39.70

$29.14 MX$539

-54.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.17 TND 15.49

$4.94 MX$91.3

4.66%

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

$104 TND 311

$204 MX$3,763

-48.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,218 TND 9,637

$3,941 MX$72.8K

-18.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.72 TND 131

$43.60 MX$806

0.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 TND 178

$43.12 MX$797

37.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 TND 340

$75.8 MX$1,400

49.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 TND 203

$88.6 MX$1,637

-23.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 TND 633

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-79.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 TND 463

$374 MX$6,911

-58.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 TND 625

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-87.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 TND 815

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-75.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$972 TND 2,911

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-75.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$622 TND 1,862

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-89.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$269 TND 807

$754 MX$13.9K

-64.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.28

11.45

-10.22%

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

Last update for Carthage: October 10, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Carthage

$194 28%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 33.2% $64

Accommodation & Living

Carthage

$154 22.3%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 142% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Carthage

$128 18.5%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 11.7% $15

Eating Out

Carthage

$81 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 150% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carthage

$75 10.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 81.9% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Carthage

$43 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 71.3% $30

Getting Around

Carthage

$18 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 196% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $211 in Carthage and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 180% 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: $23.00 in Carthage vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $258 per month, with Carthage cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇳 Carthage

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

6 h behind Carthage

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,276

149,923

💱 Currency

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇳 Tunisian Dinar (د.ت)

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to TND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Carthage Playa del Carmen 9,270 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Carthage
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Carthage and Playa del Carmen differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($693 vs $1,210 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 180% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $211 in Carthage versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Carthage – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $693 in Carthage versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carthage but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Carthage the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Carthage gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.