Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Puerto Montt Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Puerto Montt

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,069 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,608 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,147 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 21% more than Puerto Montt, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Puerto Montt are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Puerto Montt 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$8.54 CLP 7,577

37.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$37.81 CLP 33.6K

10.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.35 CLP 6,524

44.76%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.95 CLP 2,622

19.32%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.99 CLP 875

52.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$1.02 CLP 901

-4.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$3.20 CLP 2,837

-7.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$4.23 CLP 3,755

5.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.21 CLP 1,074

14.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.57 CLP 1,389

20.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.94 CLP 1,725

-15.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.30 CLP 2,927

-23.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$11.78 CLP 10.5K

-29.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.59 CLP 5,847

26.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$11.15 CLP 9,891

-3.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.84 CLP 1,629

41.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.49 CLP 1,319

-2.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.58 CLP 1,400

20.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.90 CLP 1,687

9.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.25 CLP 1,107

42.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.41 CLP 1,247

55.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.37 CLP 1,215

-24.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.58 CLP 1,403

-31.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.89 CLP 4,340

-16.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.09 CLP 5,403

69.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.50 CLP 1,330

14.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.30 CLP 2,042

12.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.61 CLP 545

-16.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.48 CLP 426

579.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.42 CLP 1,260

-7.75%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$19.3K CLP 17.1M

57.21%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$21.2K CLP 18.9M

10.31%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$131 CLP 115.9K

-36.53%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$11.64 CLP 10.3K

90.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$22.35 CLP 19.8K

31.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$38.29 CLP 34.0K

34.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$20.97 CLP 18.6K

-12.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.52 CLP 4,897

-8.15%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$432 CLP 383.6K

-53.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$51.4 CLP 45.6K

-28.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$30.89 CLP 27.4K

28.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$62.4 CLP 55.4K

25.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$83.1 CLP 73.7K

4.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$478 CLP 423.9K

103.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$368 CLP 326.6K

27.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$885 CLP 785.7K

85.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$589 CLP 522.7K

107.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

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

5.18

120.46%

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 Puerto Montt: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $478 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Puerto Montt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $240 – making Puerto Montt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 21%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,604 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $1,069 in Puerto Montt. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $432 in Puerto Montt. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Montt, where all-in costs run around $1,069, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Puerto Montt. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.