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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,069 in Coquimbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,622 in Coquimbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,176 in Coquimbo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 19% more expensive than Coquimbo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Coquimbo 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.66 CLP 7,783

37.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$44.66 CLP 40.1K

-3.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.21 CLP 7,378

29.72%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.72 CLP 2,441

26.84%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.30 CLP 1,165

15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.02 CLP 915

-6.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.21 CLP 2,883

-5.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.06 CLP 3,650

13.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.06 CLP 950

30.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.53 CLP 1,374

20.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.92 CLP 1,726

-16.15%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.43 CLP 3,079

-24.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.34 CLP 9,295

-20.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.72 CLP 6,039

24.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.79 CLP 9,695

-1.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.82 CLP 1,633

44.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.52 CLP 1,362

-1.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.55 CLP 1,391

23.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.45 CLP 1,304

44.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.27 CLP 1,143

46.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.42 CLP 1,277

59.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.27 CLP 1,141

-16.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.19 CLP 1,068

-8.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.51 CLP 4,950

-24.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.02 CLP 5,411

72.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.56 CLP 1,402

10.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.21 CLP 1,988

18.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.63 CLP 564

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.47 CLP 419

565.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.37 CLP 1,235

-7.30%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.6K CLP 17.6M

55.21%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$21.3K CLP 19.1M

10.79%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$132 CLP 118.9K

-37.28%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$13.32 CLP 12.0K

70.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$21.78 CLP 19.6K

35.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.95 CLP 34.1K

34.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$21.29 CLP 19.1K

-13.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.81 CLP 5,222

-15.15%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$438 CLP 394.0K

-55.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$51.6 CLP 46.4K

-28.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$29.86 CLP 26.8K

33.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$62.1 CLP 55.8K

28.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$83.2 CLP 74.8K

7.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$486 CLP 436.4K

96.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$373 CLP 335.5K

27.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$892 CLP 801.6K

84.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$592 CLP 531.7K

106.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$661 CLP 594.3K

0.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.18

120.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Coquimbo: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $486 in Coquimbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 1% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $45.00 in Coquimbo. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $226, with Coquimbo 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 Coquimbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Coquimbo differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,069 including rent). Coquimbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 1% more on average, 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $486 in Coquimbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $438 in Coquimbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Coquimbo – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,069 in Coquimbo versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Coquimbo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Coquimbo 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 Coquimbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.