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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $719 in Carthage.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,125 in Carthage.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,532 in Carthage.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 76% more expensive than in Carthage, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Carthage 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.25 TND 15.23

120.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$22.41 TND 65.0

110.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.96 TND 17.30

99.33%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.12 TND 3.24

255.36%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.81 TND 2.34

76.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.28 TND 0.80

192.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.66 TND 4.82

92.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.00 TND 5.81

239.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.52 TND 1.52

223.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.27 TND 0.78

714.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.68 TND 4.87

1.79%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.76 TND 5.09

55.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.43 TND 30.27

-8.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.13 TND 17.77

46.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$14.89 TND 43.19

-13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.36 TND 3.94

112.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$3.82 TND 11.09

-60.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.17 TND 3.39

83.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.76 TND 2.20

197.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.93 TND 2.70

112.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.66 TND 1.90

201.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.58 TND 1.67

112.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.32 TND 0.92

275.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.88 TND 11.24

17.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.67 TND 19.36

55.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.36 TND 3.94

19.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.26 TND 3.64

128.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.41 TND 1.20

46.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$13.94 TND 40.44

106.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.32 TND 0.92

1584.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.36 TND 1.03

936.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.82 TND 5.27

217.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.84 TND 2.43

83.33%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$40.5K TND 117.5K

-44.32%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$36.0K TND 104.4K

-27.61%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$46.48 TND 135

96.60%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$9.20 TND 26.69

173.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$20.47 TND 59.4

52.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$33.61 TND 97.5

99.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$13.84 TND 40.13

110.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.17 TND 14.98

-6.00%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$113 TND 327

98.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$3,312 TND 9,607

27.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$51.2 TND 148

-7.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$65.9 TND 191

-32.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$116 TND 336

-30.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$67.9 TND 197

36.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$213 TND 617

399.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$159 TND 460

146.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$210 TND 610

921.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$275 TND 799

362.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$989 TND 2,868

304.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$621 TND 1,802

946.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$277 TND 805

173.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.28

11.38%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Carthage: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $213 in Carthage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 173% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Carthage for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $199 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 76% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $719 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 173% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $213 in Carthage. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% 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 $22.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $719 in Carthage versus $1,266 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 76% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.