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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $932 in Antofagasta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,499 in Antofagasta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,066 in Antofagasta.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 39% more expensive than Antofagasta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Antofagasta 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$7.68 CLP 6,823

52.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$37.36 CLP 33.2K

11.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$7.85 CLP 6,978

32.61%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.79 CLP 2,483

29.39%

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

$1.46 MX$25.07

$1.30 CLP 1,151

12.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.97 CLP 860

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.58 CLP 1,403

84.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.6

$4.09 CLP 3,637

12.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.11 CLP 986

28.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.72

$1.79 CLP 1,591

6.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.96

$1.24 CLP 1,106

26.61%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.36

$2.90 CLP 2,574

-8.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$10.15 CLP 9,021

-16.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$4.14 CLP 3,676

107.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$8.75 CLP 7,772

25.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.52

$2.13 CLP 1,891

26.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.93

$2.29 CLP 2,032

-34.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.95

$2.45 CLP 2,179

-22.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.39

$1.17 CLP 1,037

85.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.27

$0.89 CLP 790

110.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.44

$0.95 CLP 846

134.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.61

$1.23 CLP 1,094

-12.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.21 CLP 1,074

-11.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$4.72 CLP 4,192

-11.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$6.25 CLP 5,559

64.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.96

$1.48 CLP 1,312

13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.60

$1.43 CLP 1,267

76.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.64 CLP 567

-14.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.1

$0.51 CLP 449

527.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.38

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.41 CLP 1,251

-6.38%

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

$30.2K MX$519.0K

$19.8K CLP 17.6M

52.29%

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

$23.4K MX$402.7K

$21.3K CLP 18.9M

10.01%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$47.75 CLP 42.4K

70.37%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$10.25 CLP 9,106

118.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$13.52 CLP 12.0K

121.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$42.32 CLP 37.6K

21.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$317

$20.99 CLP 18.7K

-12.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$5.33 CLP 4,735

-3.19%

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

$202 MX$3,473

$267 CLP 237.7K

-24.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$3,285 CLP 2.9M

61.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$42.03 CLP 37.4K

-15.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$16.37 CLP 14.6K

146.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$60.0 CLP 53.3K

31.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$73.2 CLP 65.1K

18.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.4K

$460 CLP 408.4K

106.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,230

$381 CLP 338.9K

25.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$859 CLP 763.2K

88.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$714 CLP 634.5K

71.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$781 CLP 694.0K

-13.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.18

120.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Antofagasta: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $460 in Antofagasta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 16% 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 $37.00 in Antofagasta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $210 per month, with Antofagasta 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 Antofagasta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antofagasta wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Antofagasta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Antofagasta earns 16% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $460 in Antofagasta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $267 in Antofagasta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Antofagasta – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Antofagasta versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Antofagasta but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Antofagasta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Antofagasta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $932 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Antofagasta hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Antofagasta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.