Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Ángeles and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Ángeles: $906 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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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Los Ángeles

🇨🇱 Chile

$906

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Los Ángeles vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Los Ángeles $906
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,361 per month in Los Ángeles vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Los Ángeles $1,361
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,816 per month in Los Ángeles vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Los Ángeles $1,816
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Los Ángeles is about 25% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Los Ángeles and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Los Ángeles 33% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 CLP 11.9K

$10.92 MX$205

9.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.27 CLP 25.1K

$43.37 MX$814

-41.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 CLP 9,898

$11.78 MX$221

-15.45%

Cappuccino

$2.06 CLP 2,042

$3.81 MX$71.5

-45.93%

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

$1.48 CLP 1,474

$1.28 MX$24.07

15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CLP 1,472

$0.78 MX$14.70

89.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 CLP 2,587

$3.17 MX$59.5

-17.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CLP 3,085

$4.93 MX$92.7

-36.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 CLP 1,189

$1.41 MX$26.40

-14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CLP 2,635

$2.22 MX$41.62

19.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 CLP 2,836

$1.42 MX$26.61

101.41%

Eggs

$4.12 CLP 4,092

$2.52 MX$47.36

63.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 CLP 8,139

$7.26 MX$136

12.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 CLP 10.5K

$7.70 MX$144

37.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 CLP 13.9K

$12.69 MX$238

10.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 CLP 2,629

$2.78 MX$52.3

-4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,585

$1.37 MX$25.68

16.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 CLP 2,667

$2.55 MX$47.89

5.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 CLP 2,166

$2.12 MX$39.86

2.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,518

$1.94 MX$36.39

-21.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 CLP 1,632

$1.89 MX$35.41

-13.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 CLP 1,355

$1.15 MX$21.53

18.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CLP 1,119

$1.18 MX$22.13

-4.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.40 CLP 5,369

$4.30 MX$80.6

25.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.13 CLP 4,107

$9.95 MX$187

-58.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 CLP 970

$1.58 MX$29.73

-37.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 CLP 491

$0.55 MX$10.39

-10.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 CLP 2,029

$4.97 MX$93.3

-58.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CLP 1,223

$1.44 MX$27.11

-14.58%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

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

$121 CLP 120.5K

$84.8 MX$1,592

43.04%

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

$23.41 MX$439

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.87 CLP 19.7K

$28.66 MX$538

-30.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 CLP 80.8K

$57.1 MX$1,071

42.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.17 CLP 10.1K

$28.91 MX$543

-64.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.35 CLP 4,322

$5.14 MX$96.5

-15.37%

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

$207 MX$3,878

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 CLP 269.3K

$980 MX$18.4K

-72.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 CLP 217.8K

$381 MX$7,150

-42.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 CLP 436.9K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-74.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 CLP 339.2K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-68.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Los Ángeles: October 24, 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

Los Ángeles

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Los Ángeles

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Los Ángeles

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Ángeles

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Los Ángeles

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Los Ángeles

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Los Ángeles

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $271 in Los Ángeles 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Los Ángeles versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $270 in Los Ángeles vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Los Ángeles

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

10:50 10:50 AM

2 h behind Los Ángeles

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,023

149,923

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Los Ángeles Playa del Carmen 6,640 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Ángeles
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 33% more than Los Ángeles, 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 $1,360 per month in Los Ángeles 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 Los Ángeles, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $271 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $906 in Los Ángeles and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Los Ángeles about 25% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $906 in Los Ángeles 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 $906 in Los Ángeles to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.