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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,062 in Cartagena, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,608 in Cartagena, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,153 in Cartagena, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 21% more than Cartagena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cartagena are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Cartagena 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$6.17 COP 22.4K

93.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$47.58 COP 173.1K

-10.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$9.85 COP 35.8K

7.51%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.65 COP 5,992

119.39%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.81 COP 2,936

81.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.67 COP 2,425

40.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.30 COP 4,717

137.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.95 COP 10.7K

51.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.14 COP 4,155

25.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.86 COP 6,765

1.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.33 COP 4,819

22.56%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.11 COP 7,661

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$7.07 COP 25.7K

16.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.91 COP 21.5K

40.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$8.13 COP 29.6K

36.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$3.20 COP 11.6K

-17.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.96 COP 7,111

-23.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.50 COP 5,465

32.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.58 COP 5,732

31.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.55 COP 5,630

15.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.08 COP 3,921

101.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.00 COP 3,646

8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.59 COP 2,160

76.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$2.36 COP 8,567

68.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$18.52 COP 67.3K

-44.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$0.93 COP 3,392

86.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.03 COP 3,737

142.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$1.05 COP 3,834

-50.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$28.08 COP 102.1K

-3.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.38 COP 8,666

31.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$2.37 COP 8,619

1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$4.93 COP 17.9K

-37.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.03 COP 3,736

23.30%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$20.9K COP 75.9M

47.94%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$23.6K COP 85.9M

-1.31%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$142 COP 518.0K

-42.41%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$10.96 COP 39.8K

104.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$25.17 COP 91.5K

17.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$35.27 COP 128.3K

47.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$8.84 COP 32.2K

111.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$2.94 COP 10.7K

69.05%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$142 COP 516.2K

39.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$5,910 COP 21.5M

-10.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$48.13 COP 175.1K

-24.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$39.46 COP 143.5K

1.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$123 COP 448.6K

-35.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$115 COP 416.7K

-22.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$741 COP 2.7M

30.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$330 COP 1.2M

40.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$1,308 COP 4.8M

22.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$479 COP 1.7M

152.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$3,077 COP 11.2M

28.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,977 COP 7.2M

226.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$420 COP 1.5M

71.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-23.87%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $741 in Cartagena. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 71% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $48.00 in Cartagena. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $222 in Cartagena – so Cartagena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 costs about 21% more than Cartagena, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,593 in Cartagena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cartagena, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $142 in Cartagena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cartagena, where all-in costs run around $1,062, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Cartagena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cartagena costs $1,062 versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cartagena. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.