Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Quilmes

For one person, living is cheaper in Quilmes: $965 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Quilmes
Learn more

Quilmes Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Quilmes

🇦🇷 Argentina

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Quilmes

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $965 in Quilmes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Quilmes $965

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,625 in Quilmes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Quilmes $1,625

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,285 in Quilmes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Quilmes $2,285

Playa del Carmen costs about 25% more than Quilmes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Quilmes are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Quilmes 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$5.65 ARS 8,727

88.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$34.35 ARS 53.1K

27.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$9.09 ARS 14.0K

29.70%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$2.92 ARS 4,518

29.79%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$1.71 ARS 2,641

-23.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$1.71 ARS 2,637

-51.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$3.91 ARS 6,046

-19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$2.27 ARS 3,507

117.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.02 ARS 1,579

38.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$1.57 ARS 2,421

40.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$1.66 ARS 2,572

-11.45%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$2.28 ARS 3,526

9.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$13.23 ARS 20.4K

-44.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$5.91 ARS 9,131

34.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$9.85 ARS 15.2K

30.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$2.01 ARS 3,100

44.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.53 ARS 2,358

-9.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$1.05 ARS 1,627

137.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$2.98 ARS 4,608

-31.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$1.00 ARS 1,541

102.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$0.63 ARS 979

201.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.71 ARS 1,104

60.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.73 ARS 1,133

69.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$4.95 ARS 7,651

-13.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$4.15 ARS 6,416

136.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.24 ARS 1,911

28.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$1.95 ARS 3,019

41.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.98 ARS 1,522

-47.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$1.53 ARS 2,361

211.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$1.03 ARS 1,587

215.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.10 ARS 1,695

39.09%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$49.8K ARS 76.9M

-57.37%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$38.9K ARS 60.0M

-40.12%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$59.9 ARS 92.5K

39.43%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$14.37 ARS 22.2K

61.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$22.27 ARS 34.4K

23.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$31.86 ARS 49.2K

77.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$20.27 ARS 31.3K

39.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$9.99 ARS 15.4K

-49.95%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$233 ARS 359.4K

-10.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$4,175 ARS 6.5M

25.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$95.3 ARS 147.2K

-54.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$34.60 ARS 53.5K

22.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$64.1 ARS 99.0K

13.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$71.4 ARS 110.3K

23.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$516 ARS 797.2K

92.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$328 ARS 506.6K

16.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$1,078 ARS 1.7M

55.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$814 ARS 1.3M

32.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$2,356 ARS 3.6M

65.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$1,275 ARS 2.0M

381.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$1,115 ARS 1.7M

-25.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

100

-88.55%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Quilmes

$328 34% 14.2% $54

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Quilmes

$213 22.1% 17.2% $44

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Quilmes

$145 15.1% 27.4% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Quilmes

$97 10% 28.1% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Quilmes

$119 12.4% 7.4% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Quilmes

$52 5.4% 22% $15

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Quilmes

$11 * 1.1% 79% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $516 in Quilmes. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Quilmes, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $34 in Quilmes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $213 – making Quilmes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇦🇷 Quilmes

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

23:55 11:55 PM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

230,810

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1,545 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD). 1 EUR = 1,728 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.79 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Quilmes 6,870 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Quilmes

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 Quilmes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,447 in Quilmes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quilmes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $516 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $965 in Quilmes. That makes Quilmes about 20% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $233 in Quilmes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $965 in Quilmes. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $965 in Quilmes to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.