Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castro and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Castro: $858 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Castro

🇨🇱 Chile

$858

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Castro 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 Castro and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $858 per month in Castro vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Castro $858
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Castro vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Castro $1,360
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,862 per month in Castro vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Castro $1,862
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Castro is about 29% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Castro and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Castro 37% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 CLP 7,833

$10.92 MX$204

-26.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.65 CLP 43.6K

$43.37 MX$808

2.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 CLP 5,565

$11.78 MX$220

-51.61%

Cappuccino

$1.54 CLP 1,507

$3.81 MX$71.0

-59.58%

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

$1.19 CLP 1,164

$1.28 MX$23.90

-7.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 CLP 1,005

$0.78 MX$14.59

32.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 CLP 5,066

$3.17 MX$59.0

63.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 CLP 6,964

$4.93 MX$92.0

44.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 CLP 1,040

$1.41 MX$26.22

-24.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 CLP 3,435

$2.22 MX$41.33

58.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 CLP 1,244

$1.42 MX$26.42

-10.56%

Eggs

$4.21 CLP 4,113

$2.52 MX$47.03

67.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 CLP 9,628

$7.26 MX$135

35.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 CLP 3,922

$7.70 MX$143

-47.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.37 CLP 8,180

$12.69 MX$237

-34.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 CLP 1,345

$2.78 MX$51.9

-50.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CLP 2,104

$1.37 MX$25.50

56.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,452

$2.55 MX$47.55

-41.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 CLP 1,837

$2.12 MX$39.58

-11.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 CLP 1,140

$1.94 MX$36.13

-39.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 CLP 1,521

$1.15 MX$21.37

35.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CLP 1,441

$1.18 MX$21.98

24.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 CLP 3,479

$4.30 MX$80.1

-17.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 CLP 7,451

$9.95 MX$185

-23.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 CLP 1,002

$1.58 MX$29.52

-34.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CLP 2,929

$2.67 MX$49.79

12.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 CLP 698

$0.55 MX$10.31

29.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CLP 1,262

$1.44 MX$26.92

-10.42%

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

$15.3K CLP 14.9M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

-26.20%

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

$17.9K CLP 17.5M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

-23.64%

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

$130 CLP 127.0K

$84.8 MX$1,581

53.30%

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

$23.41 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.80 CLP 29.1K

$28.66 MX$534

3.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 CLP 77.6K

$74.2 MX$1,383

6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 CLP 342.7K

$980 MX$18.3K

-64.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 CLP 272.7K

$381 MX$7,099

-26.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 CLP 988.5K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-40.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 CLP 556.5K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-47.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$600 CLP 586.0K

$735 MX$13.7K

-18.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-38.86%

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

Last update for Castro: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castro

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Castro

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Castro

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castro

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Castro

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Castro

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Castro

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $351 in Castro versus $980 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 22% 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 $45 in Castro versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $231 in Castro vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Castro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Castro

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:46 2:46 PM

12:46 12:46 PM

2 h behind Castro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,417

149,923

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,088 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Castro Playa del Carmen 7,150 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Castro
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 40% more than Castro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,286 per month in Castro and $1,806 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 Castro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $351 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $858 in Castro and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 40%.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $858 in Castro and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $858 in Castro to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Castro. 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.