Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Montt and Playa del Carmen

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.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Puerto Montt

🇨🇱 Chile

$450

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Puerto Montt and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Puerto Montt $450
Playa del Carmen $1,204

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

Puerto Montt $754
Playa del Carmen $2,082

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

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

Puerto Montt is about 63% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.20 CLP 8,150

$10.92 MX$205

-24.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.00 CLP 34.8K

$43.37 MX$814

-19.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.24 CLP 7,192

$11.78 MX$221

-38.54%

Cappuccino

$2.76 CLP 2,742

$3.81 MX$71.5

-27.56%

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

$0.87 CLP 867

$1.28 MX$24.07

-32.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 CLP 869

$0.78 MX$14.70

11.54%

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)

$1.09 CLP 1,080

$1.41 MX$26.40

-22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CLP 2,537

$2.22 MX$41.62

14.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 CLP 1,370

$1.42 MX$26.61

-2.82%

Eggs

$3.09 CLP 3,070

$2.52 MX$47.36

22.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 CLP 10.9K

$7.26 MX$136

51.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.70 CLP 5,660

$7.70 MX$144

-25.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.04 CLP 6,991

$12.69 MX$238

-44.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 CLP 1,026

$2.78 MX$52.3

-62.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CLP 1,389

$1.37 MX$25.68

2.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 CLP 2,634

$2.55 MX$47.89

3.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 CLP 1,726

$2.12 MX$39.86

-17.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,531

$1.89 MX$35.41

-18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 CLP 1,269

$1.15 MX$21.53

11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,485

$1.18 MX$22.13

26.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 CLP 4,433

$4.30 MX$80.6

3.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.40 CLP 5,360

$9.95 MX$187

-45.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CLP 1,332

$1.58 MX$29.73

-15.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CLP 1,468

$2.67 MX$50.1

-44.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 CLP 933

$0.55 MX$10.39

70.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,267

$1.44 MX$27.11

-11.11%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

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

$61.6 CLP 61.2K

$84.8 MX$1,592

-27.35%

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

$11.32 CLP 11.2K

$23.41 MX$439

-51.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.80 CLP 29.6K

$28.66 MX$538

3.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

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

$143 CLP 142.2K

$207 MX$3,878

-30.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 CLP 498.3K

$980 MX$18.4K

-48.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

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$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

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 Puerto Montt: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Montt

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Montt

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Puerto Montt

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Montt

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Montt

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Montt

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Puerto Montt

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $502 in Puerto Montt versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $35 in Puerto Montt versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $255 – making Puerto Montt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Puerto Montt

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:12 9:12 PM

19:12 7:12 PM

2 h behind Puerto Montt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,736

149,923

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Puerto Montt
Playa del Carmen

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

Puerto Montt vs Playa del Carmen: 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 $675 per month in Puerto Montt and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $450 in Puerto Montt and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Puerto Montt about 63% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $143 per month in Puerto Montt and $207 in Playa del Carmen. 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.