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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $949 in Antofagasta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,517 in Antofagasta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,086 in Antofagasta.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 34% more expensive than Antofagasta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Antofagasta 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$7.49 CLP 6,734

58.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$37.74 CLP 33.9K

13.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.04 CLP 7,229

32.46%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.76 CLP 2,481

25.00%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.36 CLP 1,219

10.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.89 CLP 802

6.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.65 CLP 1,482

83.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.29 CLP 3,852

7.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.12 CLP 1,005

23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.82 CLP 1,632

1.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.27 CLP 1,140

26.77%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.97 CLP 2,671

-12.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.00 CLP 8,988

-17.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.12 CLP 3,702

103.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.93 CLP 8,026

19.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.18 CLP 1,960

20.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.28 CLP 2,047

-34.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.55 CLP 2,295

-24.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.17 CLP 1,055

78.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.96 CLP 866

93.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.96 CLP 861

135.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.25 CLP 1,119

-15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.17 CLP 1,052

-6.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.83 CLP 4,340

-14.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.08 CLP 5,464

70.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.56 CLP 1,398

10.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.36 CLP 1,222

91.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.68 CLP 611

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.51 CLP 458

513.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.39 CLP 1,252

-8.63%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.8K CLP 17.8M

53.54%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$21.6K CLP 19.4M

8.96%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$47.96 CLP 43.1K

73.06%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$10.35 CLP 9,301

119.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$13.46 CLP 12.1K

118.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$43.46 CLP 39.1K

17.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$21.15 CLP 19.0K

-13.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.36 CLP 4,819

-8.02%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$271 CLP 243.8K

-27.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,287 CLP 3.0M

60.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$42.09 CLP 37.8K

-12.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$16.12 CLP 14.5K

147.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$60.9 CLP 54.8K

31.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$71.6 CLP 64.4K

24.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$472 CLP 424.0K

102.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$381 CLP 342.6K

25.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$853 CLP 766.9K

92.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$704 CLP 632.5K

74.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$745 CLP 669.2K

-10.42%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Antofagasta: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $472 in Antofagasta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Antofagasta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 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 34% 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 12% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $472 in Antofagasta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $271 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $949 in Antofagasta versus $1,271 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 $949 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 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.