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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $650 in Carthage.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,056 in Carthage.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,462 in Carthage.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 100% more expensive than Carthage, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Carthage 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$5.01 TND 14.51

134.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$25.83 TND 74.8

61.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.22 TND 15.10

103.83%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.06 TND 3.07

232.08%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.70 TND 2.03

115.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.28 TND 0.82

246.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.68 TND 4.86

75.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$1.92 TND 5.55

131.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$0.49 TND 1.42

181.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.20 TND 0.58

845.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.74 TND 5.03

-5.75%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.64 TND 4.76

53.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$10.47 TND 30.31

-20.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.11 TND 17.70

36.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$14.88 TND 43.10

-27.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.02 TND 5.86

28.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$3.53 TND 10.22

-58.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.12 TND 3.25

69.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.74 TND 2.13

181.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.78 TND 2.26

128.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.66 TND 1.92

231.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.46 TND 1.33

126.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.31 TND 0.91

248.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.56 TND 10.30

14.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$7.78 TND 22.53

32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.30 TND 3.76

31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.26 TND 3.64

104.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.36 TND 1.03

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$7.26 TND 21.03

264.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.32 TND 0.94

918.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.31 TND 0.89

703.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$3.37 TND 9.76

-3.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.83 TND 2.40

57.83%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$40.3K TND 116.8K

-24.95%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$36.2K TND 104.8K

-35.26%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$45.69 TND 132

81.37%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$9.47 TND 27.43

134.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$18.94 TND 54.8

54.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$37.63 TND 109

37.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$13.48 TND 39.05

35.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$5.31 TND 15.37

-4.52%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$109 TND 315

84.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$3,369 TND 9,756

54.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$44.85 TND 130

-17.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$61.5 TND 178

-35.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$97.0 TND 281

-19.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$65.6 TND 190

32.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$168 TND 486

479.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$99.8 TND 289

368.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$301 TND 871

445.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$239 TND 693

410.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$867 TND 2,512

354.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$413 TND 1,195

1475.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$278 TND 805

138.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.96

4.20%

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 Carthage: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $168 in Carthage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 139% 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 $26.00 in Carthage for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $200 per month, with Carthage 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 Carthage: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Carthage differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $650 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 139% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $168 in Carthage. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Carthage – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $650 in Carthage versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carthage but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Carthage the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Carthage gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.