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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $629 in Carthage.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,053 in Carthage.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,476 in Carthage.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Carthage 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$5.05 TND 14.77

137.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$25.25 TND 73.9

65.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.06 TND 14.80

112.45%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.07 TND 3.14

227.10%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.71 TND 2.09

104.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.26 TND 0.76

238.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.72 TND 5.04

71.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.97 TND 5.77

128.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.47 TND 1.36

204.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.20 TND 0.57

820.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.70 TND 4.99

-7.65%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.64 TND 4.80

53.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.64 TND 31.14

-22.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.03 TND 17.66

39.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$14.54 TND 42.54

-26.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.01 TND 5.89

29.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$3.40 TND 9.95

-57.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.12 TND 3.29

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.73 TND 2.14

186.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.75 TND 2.19

146.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.65 TND 1.90

233.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.43 TND 1.26

139.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.29 TND 0.83

268.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.43 TND 10.03

19.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.88 TND 20.14

47.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.35 TND 3.94

24.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.26 TND 3.68

100.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.33 TND 0.95

54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$7.39 TND 21.61

252.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.32 TND 0.94

909.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.33 TND 0.97

630.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.41 TND 9.96

-5.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.82 TND 2.40

60.98%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$41.4K TND 121.0K

-28.19%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$36.0K TND 105.3K

-34.28%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$45.15 TND 132

81.64%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$9.42 TND 27.56

143.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$18.30 TND 53.6

64.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$37.88 TND 111

37.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.32 TND 38.97

39.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.17 TND 15.11

-3.68%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$109 TND 319

80.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$3,309 TND 9,683

61.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$46.19 TND 135

-22.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$60.2 TND 176

-32.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$97.3 TND 285

-19.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$65.7 TND 192

35.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$168 TND 491

464.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$101 TND 296

368.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$304 TND 890

440.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$239 TND 698

407.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$957 TND 2,800

323.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$626 TND 1,831

933.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$270 TND 789

142.61%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Carthage: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $168 in Carthage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 143% 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 $25.00 in Carthage for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $196 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 ($1,256 vs $629 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 143% 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: $947 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 27% 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 $25.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $629 in Carthage versus $1,256 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.