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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $960 in Antofagasta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,504 in Antofagasta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,047 in Antofagasta.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 31% more expensive than in Antofagasta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Antofagasta 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$7.76 CLP 7,217

51.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$37.62 CLP 35.0K

11.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.80 CLP 7,253

34.74%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.80 CLP 2,601

28.21%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.30 CLP 1,209

16.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.90 CLP 833

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.63 CLP 1,518

81.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$4.28 CLP 3,978

3.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.11 CLP 1,033

26.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.79 CLP 1,666

5.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.27 CLP 1,180

22.83%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$3.01 CLP 2,798

-13.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.09 CLP 9,386

-17.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.23 CLP 3,931

97.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.97 CLP 8,345

21.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.20 CLP 2,044

23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.30 CLP 2,143

-34.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.44 CLP 2,275

-23.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.23 CLP 1,140

78.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.95 CLP 887

95.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.95 CLP 885

134.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.19 CLP 1,111

-10.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.21 CLP 1,128

-9.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.95 CLP 4,603

-15.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$5.80 CLP 5,392

79.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.48 CLP 1,378

12.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.37 CLP 1,278

90.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.62 CLP 581

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.51 CLP 474

503.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.45 CLP 1,353

-9.66%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$19.2K CLP 17.9M

55.30%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$21.3K CLP 19.9M

9.32%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$48.73 CLP 45.3K

66.80%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$10.36 CLP 9,636

117.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$13.07 CLP 12.2K

129.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$43.40 CLP 40.4K

21.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$20.94 CLP 19.5K

-12.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.49 CLP 5,112

-10.38%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$267 CLP 248.2K

-24.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,366 CLP 3.1M

53.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$42.13 CLP 39.2K

-14.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$16.45 CLP 15.3K

143.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$61.7 CLP 57.4K

29.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$71.6 CLP 66.6K

20.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$470 CLP 437.4K

108.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$378 CLP 351.9K

24.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$854 CLP 794.5K

93.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$702 CLP 653.0K

71.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$734 CLP 683.2K

-7.85%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Antofagasta: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $470 in Antofagasta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 9% 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 $38.00 in Antofagasta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $211 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 31% 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, salaries run 9% lower in Antofagasta. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $470 in Antofagasta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 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 $38.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $960 in Antofagasta versus $1,260 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 $960 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 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.