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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $650 in Carthage versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,056 in Carthage versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,462 in Carthage versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Carthage costs roughly 50% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Carthage 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.01 TND 14.55

$11.73 MX$203

-57.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.83 TND 75.0

$41.62 MX$720

-37.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 TND 15.14

$10.64 MX$184

-50.94%

Cappuccino

$1.06 TND 3.08

$3.52 MX$60.9

-69.89%

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

$0.70 TND 2.04

$1.51 MX$26.12

-53.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 TND 0.82

$0.97 MX$16.84

-71.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 TND 4.87

$2.95 MX$51.0

-43.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 TND 5.57

$4.45 MX$77.0

-56.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.49 TND 1.43

$1.38 MX$23.93

-64.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 TND 0.58

$1.89 MX$32.72

-89.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 TND 5.04

$1.64 MX$28.32

6.10%

Eggs

$1.64 TND 4.77

$2.51 MX$43.34

-34.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 TND 30.39

$8.34 MX$144

25.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 TND 17.75

$8.34 MX$144

-26.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 TND 43.21

$10.73 MX$186

38.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 TND 5.88

$2.60 MX$45.04

-22.31%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 TND 10.24

$1.46 MX$25.20

141.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 TND 3.26

$1.90 MX$32.87

-41.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 TND 2.14

$2.08 MX$35.91

-64.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 TND 2.27

$1.78 MX$30.71

-56.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 TND 1.92

$2.19 MX$37.80

-69.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 TND 1.34

$1.04 MX$17.99

-55.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 TND 0.91

$1.08 MX$18.62

-71.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 TND 10.32

$4.08 MX$70.6

-12.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 TND 22.59

$10.32 MX$178

-24.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 TND 3.77

$1.71 MX$29.61

-23.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 TND 3.65

$2.58 MX$44.54

-51.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 TND 1.03

$0.51 MX$8.81

-29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.26 TND 21.08

$26.46 MX$458

-72.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 TND 0.94

$3.26 MX$56.4

-90.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TND 0.89

$2.49 MX$43.09

-87.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 TND 9.79

$3.25 MX$56.2

3.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 TND 2.41

$1.31 MX$22.61

-36.64%

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

$40.3K TND 117.1K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

33.24%

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

$36.2K TND 105.1K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

54.47%

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

$45.69 TND 133

$82.9 MX$1,433

-44.87%

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

$9.47 TND 27.50

$22.22 MX$384

-57.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.94 TND 55.0

$29.34 MX$507

-35.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.63 TND 109

$51.6 MX$893

-27.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 TND 39.15

$18.32 MX$317

-26.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 TND 15.41

$5.07 MX$87.6

4.73%

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

$109 TND 316

$201 MX$3,473

-45.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,369 TND 9,781

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-35.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.85 TND 130

$36.92 MX$639

21.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.5 TND 178

$39.79 MX$688

54.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 TND 282

$78.5 MX$1,357

23.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 TND 191

$87.1 MX$1,506

-24.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 TND 487

$973 MX$16.8K

-82.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.8 TND 290

$468 MX$8,090

-78.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 TND 874

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-81.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 TND 695

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-80.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 TND 2,519

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-78.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$413 TND 1,198

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-93.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$278 TND 807

$664 MX$11.5K

-58.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.96

11.42

-4.03%

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

Last update for Carthage: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $168 in Carthage and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 139% 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: $26.00 in Carthage vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $249 per month, with Carthage 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

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

Carthage and Playa del Carmen differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($650 vs $1,297 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 139% less. 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: $168 in Carthage 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 24% 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 $26.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $650 in Carthage versus $1,297 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 100% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.