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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,091 in Calama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,592 in Calama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,094 in Calama.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 19% more expensive than Calama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Calama 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.90 CLP 7,070

48.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$33.27 CLP 29.8K

25.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.03 CLP 7,184

32.50%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.14 CLP 1,912

64.49%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.94 CLP 840

60.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.96 CLP 857

1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.25 CLP 2,908

-9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$4.05 CLP 3,628

9.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.17 CLP 1,051

17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.58 CLP 1,411

19.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.92 CLP 1,715

-14.58%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$3.57 CLP 3,198

-29.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$10.62 CLP 9,500

-21.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.78 CLP 6,066

23.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$11.08 CLP 9,913

-3.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.89 CLP 1,694

37.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.51 CLP 1,350

-3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.60 CLP 1,433

18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.49 CLP 1,334

39.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.28 CLP 1,150

39.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.40 CLP 1,250

56.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.21 CLP 1,080

-14.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.19 CLP 1,064

-9.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$5.34 CLP 4,780

-23.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$6.19 CLP 5,541

66.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.55 CLP 1,390

10.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.21 CLP 1,981

16.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.62 CLP 550

-17.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.47 CLP 423

593.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.52 CLP 1,356

63.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.57 CLP 1,409

-16.56%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$19.7K CLP 17.6M

53.76%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$21.8K CLP 19.5M

7.31%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$132 CLP 117.8K

-37.09%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$13.64 CLP 12.2K

62.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$22.20 CLP 19.9K

32.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$38.42 CLP 34.4K

34.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$20.96 CLP 18.8K

-12.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$5.76 CLP 5,154

-11.98%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$433 CLP 387.0K

-53.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$50.5 CLP 45.2K

-26.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$30.42 CLP 27.2K

30.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$61.2 CLP 54.8K

28.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$83.1 CLP 74.3K

4.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$356 CLP 318.6K

173.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$369 CLP 329.7K

26.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$861 CLP 770.4K

90.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$604 CLP 540.0K

102.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,542 CLP 1.4M

155.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,365 CLP 1.2M

375.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,240 CLP 1.1M

-46.46%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Calama: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $356 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 87% 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 $33.00 in Calama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $231 per month, with Calama 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 Calama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calama wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Calama earns 87% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $356 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,091 in Calama – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,091 in Calama versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Calama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,091 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calama hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Calama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.