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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,443 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,008 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,573 in Cartagena.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 10% less than in Cartagena, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Cartagena is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$14.15 €12.17

-17.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$56.9 €48.95

-26.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.31 €7.14

28.04%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.65 €2.28

32.83%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$2.52 €2.17

-40.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$1.99 €1.71

-51.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$3.53 €3.04

-16.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.52 €3.03

26.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.14 €0.98

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.00 €0.86

89.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.72 €1.48

-4.65%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.85 €2.45

-11.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$11.35 €9.76

-26.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$8.61 €7.41

-3.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$14.26 €12.27

-24.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.36 €2.03

10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.87 €1.61

-21.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.46 €1.25

30.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.71 €1.47

21.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.24 €1.07

43.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.10 €0.95

99.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.10 €0.94

-5.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.55 €0.47

96.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$5.69 €4.89

-28.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.30 €5.42

63.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.11 €0.95

54.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.25 €1.07

106.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.38 €1.19

-63.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$11.35 €9.76

133.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.37 €2.90

-3.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.24 €1.07

100.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$24.44 €21.03

-86.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.82 €1.57

-28.02%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$30.8K €26.5K

-1.83%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$30.8K €26.5K

-23.87%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$142 €122

-41.52%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$13.63 €11.73

63.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$30.08 €25.87

-2.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$38.77 €33.35

33.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$14.94 €12.85

22.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$8.18 €7.04

-38.02%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$430 €370

-53.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$2,817 €2,424

84.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$45.63 €39.25

-19.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$31.20 €26.84

27.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$44.67 €38.42

75.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$77.5 €66.6

12.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$768 €660

26.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$629 €541

-25.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$892 €767

84.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$759 €653

60.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,810 €1,557

118.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,450 €1,248

348.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,963 €1,689

-66.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.44

231.98%

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 Cartagena: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $768 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 196% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $57.0 in Cartagena. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $235, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Cartagena. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Cartagena earns 196% 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 $768 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $57.0 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,443 in Cartagena – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,443 in Cartagena, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cartagena. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,297 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cartagena are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.