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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,188 in Catamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,984 in Catamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,781 in Catamarca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than in Catamarca, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Catamarca 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$15.31 ARS 23.1K

-21.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$54.9 ARS 82.8K

-13.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$13.13 ARS 19.8K

-10.51%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.77 ARS 5,686

9.28%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.14 ARS 3,226

-34.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.67 ARS 2,520

-45.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$3.65 ARS 5,501

-12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.69 ARS 5,562

91.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.35 ARS 2,032

24.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$2.21 ARS 3,328

-2.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.51 ARS 2,275

17.22%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.48 ARS 3,749

13.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.08 ARS 15.2K

-8.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.68 ARS 10.1K

38.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$11.53 ARS 17.4K

9.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.39 ARS 3,612

23.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.25 ARS 3,396

-29.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.39 ARS 2,096

59.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.09 ARS 3,156

12.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.05 ARS 1,585

89.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.98 ARS 1,482

102.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.55 ARS 2,344

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.75 ARS 2,644

-30.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.25 ARS 4,909

41.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$4.92 ARS 7,425

113.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.99 ARS 2,998

-15.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.92 ARS 4,412

-5.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.02 ARS 1,531

-41.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.56 ARS 2,357

235.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.98 ARS 1,475

272.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$7.33 ARS 11.1K

-21.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.15 ARS 1,732

33.91%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$27.1K ARS 40.8M

-15.77%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$33.1K ARS 50.0M

-22.10%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$84.0 ARS 126.7K

7.93%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$16.83 ARS 25.4K

49.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$27.43 ARS 41.4K

15.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$30.03 ARS 45.3K

129.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$8.56 ARS 12.9K

-43.22%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$300 ARS 452.0K

-24.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$4,188 ARS 6.3M

0.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$107 ARS 161.6K

-55.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$75.6 ARS 114.1K

-42.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$116 ARS 175.7K

-31.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$124 ARS 187.3K

-26.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$482 ARS 726.9K

125.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$302 ARS 455.2K

35.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$973 ARS 1.5M

102.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$777 ARS 1.2M

64.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,388 ARS 3.6M

69.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

56.56

-79.76%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Catamarca: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $482 in Catamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $55.0 in Catamarca. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $249, with Catamarca cheaper for home cooking.

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 Catamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Catamarca wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Catamarca the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,782 in Catamarca to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $482 in Catamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,188 in Catamarca – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,188 in Catamarca versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Catamarca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Catamarca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Catamarca delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,188 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Catamarca hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Catamarca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Catamarca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.