Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ancud

For one person, living is cheaper in Ancud: $223 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Ancud

🇨🇱 Chile

$223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Ancud

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Ancud actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $223 in Ancud.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Ancud $223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $426 in Ancud.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Ancud $426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $630 in Ancud.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Ancud $630

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 441% more expensive than in Ancud, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Ancud 84% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$10.27 CLP 10.0K

6.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$25.35 CLP 24.8K

71.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$6.16 CLP 6,022

91.23%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$2.56 CLP 2,499

48.83%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$0.64 CLP 621

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.59 CLP 574

138.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$2.09 CLP 2,047

6.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$0.70 CLP 681

102.86%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$1.80 CLP 1,754

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$3.05 CLP 2,982

152.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$12.29 CLP 12.0K

3.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

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)

$1.44 MX$26.92

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

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

$23.41 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

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)

$74.2 MX$1,383

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

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)

$735 MX$13.7K

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 Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ancud: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Ancud

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Ancud

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Ancud

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Ancud

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Ancud

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Ancud

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Ancud

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $25 in Ancud for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $89 per month, with Ancud cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇱 Ancud

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

14:48 2:48 PM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

28,162

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Playa del Carmen Ancud 7,080 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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Playa del Carmen
Ancud

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

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

Ancud is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. The 441% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $334 in Ancud 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 187% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ancud – a meal for two runs $25 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $223 in Ancud versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ancud but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ancud 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.