Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Castro

For one person, living is cheaper in Castro: $858 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Castro

🇨🇱 Chile

$858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Castro

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Castro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $858 in Castro, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Castro $858

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,360 in Castro, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Castro $1,360

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,862 in Castro, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Castro $1,862

Playa del Carmen costs about 40% more than Castro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Playa del Carmen and Castro are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Castro 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$8.02 CLP 7,833

36.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$44.65 CLP 43.6K

-2.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$5.70 CLP 5,565

106.67%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.54 CLP 1,507

147.40%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$1.19 CLP 1,164

7.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$1.03 CLP 1,005

-24.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$5.18 CLP 5,066

-38.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$7.13 CLP 6,964

-30.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.06 CLP 1,040

33.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$3.52 CLP 3,435

-36.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.27 CLP 1,244

11.81%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$4.21 CLP 4,113

-40.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$9.85 CLP 9,628

-26.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$4.01 CLP 3,922

92.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$8.37 CLP 8,180

51.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$1.38 CLP 1,345

101.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$2.15 CLP 2,104

-36.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$1.49 CLP 1,452

71.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.88 CLP 1,837

12.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.17 CLP 1,140

65.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.56 CLP 1,521

-26.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$1.47 CLP 1,441

-19.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$3.56 CLP 3,479

20.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$7.63 CLP 7,451

30.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.03 CLP 1,002

53.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$3.00 CLP 2,929

-11.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.71 CLP 698

-22.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.29 CLP 1,262

11.63%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$15.3K CLP 14.9M

35.49%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$17.9K CLP 17.5M

30.96%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$130 CLP 127.0K

-34.77%

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

$23.41 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$29.80 CLP 29.1K

-3.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$79.4 CLP 77.6K

-6.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$351 CLP 342.7K

179.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$279 CLP 272.7K

36.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$1,012 CLP 988.5K

68.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$570 CLP 556.5K

88.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$600 CLP 586.0K

22.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

63.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Castro: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Castro

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Castro

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Castro

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Castro

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Castro

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Castro

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Castro

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $351 in Castro. 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 22% 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 in Playa del Carmen versus $45 in Castro. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $231 in Castro – so Castro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇱 Castro

🕒 Local time

13:49 1:49 PM

15:49 3:49 PM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

33,417

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,088 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Castro 7,150 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Castro

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Castro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 40% more than Castro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,286 in Castro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Castro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $351 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $858 in Castro. That’s a gap of about 40%.

Groceries cost about 10% 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.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $858 in Castro. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $858 in Castro to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Castro. 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.