Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Puerto Montt

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Montt: $450 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Puerto Montt

🇨🇱 Chile

$450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Puerto Montt

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 Puerto Montt actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $450 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Puerto Montt $450

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $754 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Puerto Montt $754

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,057 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Puerto Montt $1,057

Playa del Carmen costs about 167% more than Puerto Montt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Puerto Montt are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Puerto Montt 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$8.20 CLP 8,150

33.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$35.00 CLP 34.8K

23.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$7.24 CLP 7,192

62.71%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$2.76 CLP 2,742

38.04%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.87 CLP 867

47.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.87 CLP 869

-10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.09 CLP 1,080

29.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$2.55 CLP 2,537

-12.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.38 CLP 1,370

2.90%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$3.09 CLP 3,070

-18.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$11.01 CLP 10.9K

-34.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$5.70 CLP 5,660

35.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$7.04 CLP 6,991

80.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.03 CLP 1,026

169.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.40 CLP 1,389

-2.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$2.65 CLP 2,634

-3.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$1.74 CLP 1,726

21.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$1.54 CLP 1,531

22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$1.28 CLP 1,269

-10.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$1.49 CLP 1,485

-20.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$4.46 CLP 4,433

-3.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$5.40 CLP 5,360

84.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.34 CLP 1,332

17.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$1.48 CLP 1,468

80.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.94 CLP 933

-41.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.28 CLP 1,267

12.50%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$61.6 CLP 61.2K

37.65%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$11.32 CLP 11.2K

106.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$29.80 CLP 29.6K

-3.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

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

$207 MX$3,882

$143 CLP 142.2K

44.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$502 CLP 498.3K

95.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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 Puerto Montt: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Puerto Montt

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Puerto Montt

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Puerto Montt

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Puerto Montt

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Puerto Montt

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Puerto Montt

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Puerto Montt

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $502 in Puerto Montt. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $35 in Puerto Montt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $216 – making Puerto Montt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇱 Puerto Montt

🕒 Local time

21:06 9:06 PM

23:06 11:06 PM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

169,736

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Playa del Carmen Puerto Montt 7,060 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Puerto Montt

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 Puerto Montt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 167%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $675 in Puerto Montt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Montt, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $502 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $450 in Puerto Montt. That makes Puerto Montt about 63% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $143 in Puerto Montt. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Montt, where all-in costs run around $450, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Puerto Montt it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Montt – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.