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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $955 in Catamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,566 in Catamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,178 in Catamarca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 32% more expensive than in Catamarca, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Catamarca 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$10.33 ARS 15.3K

16.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$33.18 ARS 49.0K

25.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$9.07 ARS 13.4K

18.52%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.77 ARS 4,088

26.35%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.64 ARS 2,427

-11.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$1.48 ARS 2,184

-40.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$2.10 ARS 3,097

40.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$2.98 ARS 4,411

51.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.24 ARS 1,835

15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.56 ARS 2,299

17.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.96 ARS 2,904

-19.90%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.16 ARS 3,197

16.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$10.02 ARS 14.8K

-17.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$6.23 ARS 9,209

35.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$9.21 ARS 13.6K

15.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.03 ARS 3,003

28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$2.13 ARS 3,155

-32.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.26 ARS 1,861

55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$2.61 ARS 3,863

-19.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.18 ARS 1,741

56.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.24 ARS 1,831

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.27 ARS 1,871

-18.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$1.50 ARS 2,217

-28.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$3.10 ARS 4,586

32.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$4.59 ARS 6,788

121.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.00 ARS 2,955

-16.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$3.17 ARS 4,682

-20.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.81 ARS 1,199

-37.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$1.49 ARS 2,195

116.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.91 ARS 1,342

164.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$5.91 ARS 8,740

-45.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.05 ARS 1,557

25.71%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$27.9K ARS 41.2M

6.42%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$30.3K ARS 44.7M

-21.81%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$67.8 ARS 100.2K

20.96%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$16.99 ARS 25.1K

35.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$22.69 ARS 33.5K

32.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$25.94 ARS 38.3K

100.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$13.93 ARS 20.6K

33.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$6.27 ARS 9,265

-20.57%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$223 ARS 330.0K

-11.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$2,719 ARS 4.0M

96.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$73.1 ARS 108.1K

-51.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$69.0 ARS 101.9K

-41.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$113 ARS 167.3K

-30.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$110 ARS 162.2K

-18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$339 ARS 500.9K

179.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$241 ARS 355.8K

96.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$672 ARS 992.5K

144.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$537 ARS 793.9K

125.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$2,265 ARS 3.3M

79.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$1,354 ARS 2.0M

377.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

58.5

-80.48%

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 Catamarca: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $339 in Catamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Catamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $229 per month, with Catamarca 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 Catamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Catamarca wins on cost – living expenses run 32% 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 $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,432 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $339 in Catamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $955 in Catamarca – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $955 in Catamarca versus $1,256 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 $955 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 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.