Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,425 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cartagena outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Cartagena
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Cartagena Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Cartagena

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Cartagena actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,425 in Cartagena.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Cartagena $1,425

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,101 in Cartagena.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Cartagena $2,101

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,778 in Cartagena.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Cartagena $2,778

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 15% less than in Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Cartagena is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$13.84 €12.40

-21.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$56.2 €50.3

-22.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$7.95 €7.12

48.18%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$2.47 €2.21

54.25%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$2.56 €2.30

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$1.82 €1.63

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$3.42 €3.06

-7.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.86 €3.46

27.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.22 €1.09

15.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$1.19 €1.06

86.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$2.63 €2.35

-46.01%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$3.96 €3.54

-36.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$12.82 €11.48

-43.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$6.71 €6.01

14.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$18.75 €16.79

-32.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.37 €2.12

17.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$2.45 €2.19

-44.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$1.58 €1.42

61.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$3.20 €2.87

-33.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$1.28 €1.14

51.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$1.26 €1.13

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$1.53 €1.37

-24.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.69 €0.62

71.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$5.71 €5.11

-24.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$6.30 €5.64

57.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.21 €1.08

30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.17 €1.05

128.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$1.48 €1.32

-62.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$11.08 €9.93

140.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$5.65 €5.06

-12.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$2.23 €2.00

49.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$27.72 €24.83

-80.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.77 €1.59

-18.64%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$34.6K €30.9K

-40.20%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$29.9K €26.7K

-21.41%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$211 €189

-59.83%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$19.43 €17.40

20.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$29.27 €26.21

-2.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$41.23 €36.92

38.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$12.81 €11.47

125.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$7.72 €6.91

-33.42%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$406 €364

-49.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$2,651 €2,374

48.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$46.46 €41.61

-6.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$34.88 €31.24

18.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$60.6 €54.2

22.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$101 €90.5

-11.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$596 €534

64.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$490 €439

-22.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$872 €781

95.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$720 €644

49.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$1,737 €1,556

126.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$1,427 €1,278

331.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$1,704 €1,526

-56.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.06

182.02%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Cartagena

$490 34.4% 28.6% $109

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Cartagena

$269 18.9% 5.7% $14

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Cartagena

$207 14.5% 2.1% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Cartagena

$260 18.2% 89.8% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Cartagena

$109 7.7% 2.1% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Cartagena

$57 4% 15.8% $11

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cartagena

$34 2.4% 33% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $596 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $56 in Cartagena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $269 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇪🇸 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

10:46 10:46 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

218,050

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Cartagena 8,290 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Cartagena

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 15% 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, salaries run 57% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $596 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 $43 versus $56 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,425 in Cartagena – Playa del Carmen is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Cartagena on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.