Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Antigua Guatemala Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Antigua Guatemala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,115 in Antigua Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,950 in Antigua Guatemala.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 2% less than in Antigua Guatemala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Antigua Guatemala 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$5.19 Q 39.52

131.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$53.3 Q 406

-21.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.35 Q 48.39

69.29%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.42 Q 26.03

2.34%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.19 Q 9.07

21.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.97 Q 7.38

-9.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$3.92 Q 29.88

-24.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$4.69 Q 35.70

-3.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.91 Q 14.53

-25.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$3.18 Q 24.19

-42.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.59 Q 12.09

-1.26%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.53 Q 19.30

-0.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$7.46 Q 56.9

10.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$8.45 Q 64.4

-0.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.18 Q 77.6

4.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.65 Q 27.80

-28.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.52 Q 11.55

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.15 Q 24.01

-37.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.59 Q 12.11

31.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.75 Q 13.33

5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.77 Q 13.47

22.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.73 Q 5.58

41.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.20 Q 9.14

-10.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.56 Q 27.13

15.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.07 Q 61.5

26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.67 Q 12.76

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.51 Q 19.15

0.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$2.05 Q 15.60

-75.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.71 Q 35.91

-31.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$15.77 Q 120

-79.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.11 Q 8.48

18.92%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$19.4K Q 148.0K

52.84%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$22.5K Q 171.4K

5.16%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$49.84 Q 380

64.55%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$26.09 Q 199

-12.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$49.09 Q 374

-38.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$40.22 Q 306

29.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$27.79 Q 212

-33.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.24 Q 55.2

-31.22%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$249 Q 1,893

-20.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$5,856 Q 44.6K

-8.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$47.36 Q 361

-24.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$54.0 Q 411

-25.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$100 Q 763

-21.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$85.9 Q 655

3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$880 Q 6,701

7.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$551 Q 4,197

-13.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$2,034 Q 15.5K

-19.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$1,260 Q 9,602

-3.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$3,046 Q 23.2K

33.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,205 Q 9,184

436.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$544 Q 4,142

20.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.5

34.35%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Antigua Guatemala: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $880 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $266 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Antigua Guatemala differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,281 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $880 in Antigua Guatemala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $249 in Antigua Guatemala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $53.0 in Antigua Guatemala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,281 in Antigua Guatemala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Antigua Guatemala. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Antigua Guatemala 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Antigua Guatemala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.