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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $947 in Catamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,587 in Catamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,228 in Catamarca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 37% more expensive than Catamarca, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Catamarca 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.62 ARS 15.1K

10.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$33.55 ARS 47.9K

24.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$9.03 ARS 12.9K

17.83%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.65 ARS 3,780

32.83%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.70 ARS 2,425

-11.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$1.50 ARS 2,137

-35.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.06 ARS 2,939

43.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.93 ARS 4,186

51.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.26 ARS 1,797

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.56 ARS 2,224

21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.94 ARS 2,773

-15.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.24 ARS 3,198

12.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$10.21 ARS 14.6K

-18.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.33 ARS 9,023

31.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.21 ARS 13.1K

16.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.05 ARS 2,918

26.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$2.08 ARS 2,964

-29.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.26 ARS 1,790

50.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.65 ARS 3,775

-21.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.14 ARS 1,631

56.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.20 ARS 1,713

82.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.32 ARS 1,890

-21.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.43 ARS 2,044

-24.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.16 ARS 4,509

29.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$5.09 ARS 7,255

102.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.00 ARS 2,851

-14.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$3.02 ARS 4,313

-14.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.77 ARS 1,097

-33.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.53 ARS 2,183

113.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.86 ARS 1,224

189.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.09 ARS 8,692

-46.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.07 ARS 1,520

22.43%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$27.6K ARS 39.4M

9.74%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$30.5K ARS 43.5M

-23.15%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$66.6 ARS 95.0K

24.45%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$17.22 ARS 24.6K

29.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$22.76 ARS 32.5K

28.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$26.38 ARS 37.6K

95.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$13.84 ARS 19.7K

32.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.29 ARS 8,975

-19.40%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$224 ARS 319.5K

-10.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$2,651 ARS 3.8M

96.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$73.7 ARS 105.1K

-49.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$69.3 ARS 98.8K

-42.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$115 ARS 163.5K

-31.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$114 ARS 162.4K

-23.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$340 ARS 484.7K

186.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$242 ARS 344.6K

93.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$673 ARS 959.6K

144.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$543 ARS 775.2K

124.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,915 ARS 2.7M

106.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Catamarca: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $340 in Catamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Catamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $230 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 37% 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 $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,420 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $340 in Catamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $947 in Catamarca – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $947 in Catamarca versus $1,297 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 $947 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 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.