Comparación del coste de vida entre Playa del Carmen y Cartago Comparación del coste de vida entre Playa del Carmen y Cartago

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $830 in Cartago, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,258 in Cartago, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,686 in Cartago, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 55% more than Cartago, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cartago are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Cartago 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$3.69 COP 13.4K

223.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$28.64 COP 104.2K

49.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$7.16 COP 26.1K

47.91%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.63 COP 5,911

122.09%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.94 COP 3,424

56.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.56 COP 2,041

67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.01 COP 3,691

205.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.51 COP 9,137

77.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.26 COP 4,583

13.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.51 COP 5,498

24.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.24 COP 4,514

31.45%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.58 COP 9,382

2.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$4.15 COP 15.1K

97.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.50 COP 20.0K

50.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$7.76 COP 28.2K

43.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.50 COP 9,090

6.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$0.97 COP 3,529

54.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.15 COP 4,180

73.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.25 COP 4,551

66.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.88 COP 3,186

103.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.11 COP 4,040

96.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.72 COP 2,616

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.68 COP 2,477

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$2.84 COP 10.3K

39.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.44 COP 41.6K

-10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.08 COP 3,914

60.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.92 COP 6,982

30.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.73 COP 2,668

-28.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$30.35 COP 110.4K

-11.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.59 COP 5,778

97.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.95 COP 7,081

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$9.46 COP 34.4K

-67.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$0.95 COP 3,448

33.68%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$22.2K COP 80.8M

38.94%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$29.9K COP 108.6M

-21.90%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$81.2 COP 295.2K

1.03%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$9.09 COP 33.1K

146.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$24.36 COP 88.6K

21.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$23.12 COP 84.1K

124.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$4.70 COP 17.1K

5.74%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$222 COP 807.6K

-10.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$5,904 COP 21.5M

-10.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$63.2 COP 229.7K

-42.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$44.18 COP 160.7K

-9.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$78.6 COP 285.7K

1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$89.9 COP 327.1K

-1.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$288 COP 1.0M

234.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$236 COP 857.5K

97.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$524 COP 1.9M

204.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$430 COP 1.6M

180.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$1,776 COP 6.5M

121.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,493 COP 5.4M

331.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$327 COP 1.2M

120.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.58

-1.38%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Última actualización para Cartago: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $288 in Cartago. 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 120% 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 $29.00 in Cartago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $183 – making Cartago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Playa del Carmen vs Cartago: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 55%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,245 in Cartago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $830 in Cartago. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Cartago. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cartago, where all-in costs run around $830, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Cartago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cartago – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cartago. 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.