Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Antonio de Petrel

For one person, living is cheaper in San Antonio de Petrel: $357 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most 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

San Antonio de Petrel

🇨🇱 Chile

$357

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in San Antonio de Petrel

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 San Antonio de Petrel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $357 in San Antonio de Petrel, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
San Antonio de Petrel $357

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $510 in San Antonio de Petrel, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
San Antonio de Petrel $510

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $662 in San Antonio de Petrel, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
San Antonio de Petrel $662

Playa del Carmen costs about 238% more than San Antonio de Petrel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and San Antonio de Petrel are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, San Antonio de Petrel 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.60 CLP 586

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.83 CLP 810

-33.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$0.85 CLP 826

484.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$3.02 CLP 2,948

10.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.43 CLP 1,399

0.70%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

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

$23.41 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$20.02 CLP 19.6K

43.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$25.30 CLP 24.7K

125.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$4.68 CLP 4,574

9.83%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$61.3 CLP 59.9K

237.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$1,150 CLP 1.1M

241.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$71.6 CLP 70.0K

3.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$305 CLP 298.1K

221.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$248 CLP 242.5K

53.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$607 CLP 593.0K

181.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$458 CLP 447.2K

134.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$408 CLP 399.0K

79.87%

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 San Antonio de Petrel: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

San Antonio de Petrel

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

San Antonio de Petrel

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

San Antonio de Petrel

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

San Antonio de Petrel

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

San Antonio de Petrel

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

San Antonio de Petrel

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

San Antonio de Petrel

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $305 in San Antonio de Petrel. 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 80% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇱 San Antonio de Petrel

🕒 Local time

18:19 6:19 PM

20:19 8:19 PM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,088 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen San Antonio de Petrel 6,320 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
San Antonio de Petrel

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 San Antonio de Petrel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 238%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $535 in San Antonio de Petrel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Antonio de Petrel, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $305 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $357 in San Antonio de Petrel. That makes San Antonio de Petrel about 70% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $61 in San Antonio de Petrel. 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 San Antonio de Petrel, where all-in costs run around $357, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In San Antonio de Petrel it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Antonio de Petrel – 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 San Antonio de Petrel. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.