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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,083 in Calama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,617 in Calama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,150 in Calama.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 16% more expensive than in Calama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Calama 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.15 CLP 7,611

47.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$33.33 CLP 31.1K

25.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.90 CLP 7,375

36.08%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.11 CLP 1,968

65.88%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.98 CLP 917

47.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.93 CLP 867

-5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$3.29 CLP 3,075

-10.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$4.15 CLP 3,872

8.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.23 CLP 1,151

16.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.52 CLP 1,423

21.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.89 CLP 1,760

-16.93%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.51 CLP 3,276

-28.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.63 CLP 9,922

-22.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.53 CLP 6,099

29.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$11.08 CLP 10.3K

-3.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.90 CLP 1,770

37.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.51 CLP 1,408

-4.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.52 CLP 1,423

28.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.45 CLP 1,352

44.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.24 CLP 1,156

49.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.39 CLP 1,300

56.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.22 CLP 1,144

-15.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.17 CLP 1,094

-8.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$5.28 CLP 4,933

-22.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$5.92 CLP 5,526

71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.60 CLP 1,491

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.22 CLP 2,076

13.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.59 CLP 549

-13.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.51 CLP 472

533.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.53 CLP 1,424

57.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.54 CLP 1,442

-14.29%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$19.6K CLP 18.3M

51.23%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$21.7K CLP 20.3M

9.02%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$131 CLP 122.0K

-37.23%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$13.71 CLP 12.8K

67.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$22.29 CLP 20.8K

35.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$38.39 CLP 35.8K

35.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$21.55 CLP 20.1K

-14.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.70 CLP 5,323

-12.63%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$432 CLP 403.4K

-54.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$50.6 CLP 47.2K

-29.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$30.49 CLP 28.5K

32.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$62.8 CLP 58.6K

25.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$82.9 CLP 77.3K

7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$352 CLP 328.4K

169.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$378 CLP 352.7K

25.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$847 CLP 790.6K

94.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$590 CLP 550.9K

105.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,467 CLP 1.4M

176.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,276 CLP 1.2M

406.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,160 CLP 1.1M

-43.61%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Calama: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $352 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 77% 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 $229 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 16% 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, salaries run 77% lower in Calama. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $352 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,083 in Calama – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,083 in Calama versus $1,256 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 $1,083 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 16% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.