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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $955 in Catamarca versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,566 in Catamarca versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Catamarca versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Catamarca costs roughly 24% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Catamarca 29% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.33 ARS 15.3K

$11.99 MX$210

-13.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.18 ARS 49.0K

$41.78 MX$733

-20.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 ARS 13.4K

$10.75 MX$189

-15.63%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ARS 4,088

$3.50 MX$61.3

-20.86%

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

$1.64 ARS 2,427

$1.45 MX$25.41

13.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,184

$0.88 MX$15.52

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 ARS 3,097

$2.95 MX$51.7

-28.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ARS 4,411

$4.51 MX$79.1

-33.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ARS 1,835

$1.43 MX$25.12

-13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ARS 2,299

$1.84 MX$32.23

-15.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 ARS 2,904

$1.57 MX$27.51

24.84%

Eggs

$2.16 ARS 3,197

$2.51 MX$44.06

-13.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 ARS 14.8K

$8.28 MX$145

21.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ARS 9,209

$8.43 MX$148

-26.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.21 ARS 13.6K

$10.68 MX$187

-13.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ARS 3,003

$2.61 MX$45.76

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ARS 3,155

$1.44 MX$25.22

47.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,861

$1.96 MX$34.41

-35.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 ARS 3,863

$2.09 MX$36.74

24.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ARS 1,741

$1.85 MX$32.47

-36.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,831

$2.17 MX$38.02

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ARS 1,871

$1.03 MX$18.09

23.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 ARS 2,217

$1.07 MX$18.84

40.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.10 ARS 4,586

$4.10 MX$72.0

-24.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.59 ARS 6,788

$10.17 MX$178

-54.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 ARS 2,955

$1.68 MX$29.38

19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ARS 4,682

$2.53 MX$44.31

25.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 ARS 1,199

$0.51 MX$8.93

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ARS 2,195

$3.23 MX$56.7

-53.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,342

$2.41 MX$42.19

-62.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 ARS 8,740

$3.23 MX$56.6

82.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ARS 1,557

$1.32 MX$23.17

-20.45%

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

$27.9K ARS 41.2M

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-6.03%

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

$30.3K ARS 44.7M

$23.7K MX$415.0K

27.90%

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

$67.8 ARS 100.2K

$82.0 MX$1,439

-17.33%

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

$16.99 ARS 25.1K

$22.95 MX$403

-25.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.69 ARS 33.5K

$30.11 MX$528

-24.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.94 ARS 38.3K

$52.0 MX$912

-50.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.93 ARS 20.6K

$18.53 MX$325

-24.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 ARS 9,265

$4.98 MX$87.3

25.90%

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

$223 ARS 330.0K

$197 MX$3,463

13.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,719 ARS 4.0M

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-49.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ARS 108.1K

$35.60 MX$624

105.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.0 ARS 101.9K

$40.33 MX$707

70.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ARS 167.3K

$78.8 MX$1,381

43.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ARS 162.2K

$88.9 MX$1,560

23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$339 ARS 500.9K

$947 MX$16.6K

-64.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ARS 355.8K

$474 MX$8,314

-49.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 ARS 992.5K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-59.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$537 ARS 793.9K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-55.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,265 ARS 3.3M

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-44.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,354 ARS 2.0M

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-79.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

11.42

412.26%

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

Last update for Catamarca: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $339 in Catamarca and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Catamarca vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $249 per month, with Catamarca 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

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

Catamarca wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Catamarca the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,432 in Catamarca and $1,884 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $339 in Catamarca versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $955 per month in Catamarca versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $955 in Catamarca versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Catamarca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Catamarca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Catamarca delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $955 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Catamarca hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Catamarca 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 Catamarca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.