Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Coquimbo and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Coquimbo: $549 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities 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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Coquimbo

🇨🇱 Chile

$549

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $549 in Coquimbo versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Coquimbo $549
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $915 in Coquimbo versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Coquimbo $915
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,282 in Coquimbo versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Coquimbo $1,282
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Coquimbo costs roughly 54% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Coquimbo 59% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.63 CLP 6,479

$10.67 MX$198

-37.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 CLP 44.3K

$43.80 MX$813

3.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.29 CLP 6,140

$11.79 MX$219

-46.65%

Cappuccino

$3.59 CLP 3,504

$3.79 MX$70.3

-5.28%

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

$1.09 CLP 1,066

$1.30 MX$24.09

-16.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 CLP 968

$0.83 MX$15.48

19.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CLP 3,887

$3.15 MX$58.4

26.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 CLP 4,545

$4.93 MX$91.6

-5.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 CLP 997

$1.41 MX$26.16

-27.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 CLP 3,000

$2.20 MX$40.77

39.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 CLP 1,197

$1.47 MX$27.35

-16.33%

Eggs

$2.49 CLP 2,436

$2.50 MX$46.37

-0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 CLP 7,812

$7.29 MX$135

9.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 CLP 1,257

$2.90 MX$53.8

-55.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 CLP 1,747

$1.38 MX$25.69

29.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 CLP 1,004

$2.49 MX$46.26

-58.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 CLP 917

$2.03 MX$37.70

-53.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.61

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 CLP 1,205

$1.90 MX$35.35

-35.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 CLP 581

$1.14 MX$21.25

-48.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CLP 1,244

$1.24 MX$23.01

2.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.99 CLP 4,870

$4.27 MX$79.3

16.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 CLP 8,109

$9.81 MX$182

-15.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.45

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 CLP 4,320

$2.75 MX$51.0

60.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 CLP 765

$0.51 MX$9.56

52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$509

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 CLP 1,364

$1.53 MX$28.38

-8.50%

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

$21.2K MX$393.9K

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

$23.3K MX$432.0K

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

$100 CLP 98.0K

$83.5 MX$1,550

20.22%

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

$12.06 CLP 11.8K

$23.19 MX$431

-47.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$513

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.38 CLP 24.8K

$56.4 MX$1,048

-55.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.95 CLP 4,832

$28.19 MX$524

-82.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 CLP 3,996

$5.00 MX$92.9

-18.20%

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

$253 CLP 247.3K

$207 MX$3,846

22.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K CLP 27.1M

$5,231 MX$97.1K

430.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.96 CLP 43.9K

$43.45 MX$807

3.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.74 CLP 25.1K

$42.54 MX$790

-39.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.2 CLP 59.7K

$72.8 MX$1,351

-15.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 CLP 79.2K

$88.4 MX$1,641

-8.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,102

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 CLP 592.2K

$832 MX$15.5K

-27.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-56.33%

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

Last update for Coquimbo: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Coquimbo

–

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Groceries & Markets

Coquimbo

–

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Eating Out

Coquimbo

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Coquimbo

–

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Coquimbo

–

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Coquimbo

–

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Getting Around

Coquimbo

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 37% 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: $45 in Coquimbo vs $44 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $151 vs $257, with Coquimbo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Coquimbo

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

11:42 11:42 AM

2 h behind Coquimbo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

204,068

149,923

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.24 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,094 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Coquimbo Playa del Carmen 5,870 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Coquimbo
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $549 in Coquimbo and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, so Coquimbo is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Coquimbo. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $253 in Coquimbo versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $549 per month in Coquimbo versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Coquimbo is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $549 in Coquimbo versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Coquimbo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Coquimbo 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.

It comes down to priorities – Coquimbo wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.