Cost of Living Comparison Between Cha-am and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Cha-am and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $922 in Cha-am versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,416 in Cha-am versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,909 in Cha-am versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cha-am costs roughly 29% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cha-am 31% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.00 ฿98.0

$11.73 MX$203

-74.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.36 ฿698

$41.62 MX$720

-48.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 ฿294

$10.64 MX$184

-15.23%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿66.2

$3.52 MX$60.9

-42.33%

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

$0.64 ฿20.95

$1.51 MX$26.12

-57.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿14.70

$0.97 MX$16.84

-53.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿82.5

$2.95 MX$51.0

-14.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$4.45 MX$77.0

-14.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ฿57.3

$1.38 MX$23.93

26.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ฿45.41

$1.89 MX$32.72

-26.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 ฿41.22

$1.64 MX$28.32

-23.17%

Eggs

$1.83 ฿59.6

$2.51 MX$43.34

-27.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.48 ฿440

$8.34 MX$144

61.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ฿107

$8.34 MX$144

-60.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 ฿359

$10.73 MX$186

2.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 ฿103

$2.60 MX$45.04

21.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.88

$1.46 MX$25.20

-8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ฿61.8

$1.90 MX$32.87

-0.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿49.40

$2.08 MX$35.91

-27.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 ฿54.9

$1.78 MX$30.71

-5.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.40

$2.19 MX$37.80

-42.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ฿39.76

$1.04 MX$17.99

17.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿14.86

$1.08 MX$18.62

-57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿152

$4.08 MX$70.6

13.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.61 ฿543

$10.32 MX$178

60.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.71 MX$29.61

5.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ฿115

$2.58 MX$44.54

36.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.72

$0.51 MX$8.81

72.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 ฿34.44

$3.26 MX$56.4

-67.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 ฿24.59

$2.49 MX$43.09

-69.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 ฿110

$3.25 MX$56.2

3.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$1.31 MX$22.61

0.76%

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

$20.0K ฿653.8K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-33.89%

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

$20.7K ฿675.5K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-11.73%

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

$73.3 ฿2,394

$82.9 MX$1,433

-11.52%

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

$13.18 ฿430

$22.22 MX$384

-40.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.40 ฿601

$29.34 MX$507

-37.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.52 ฿801

$51.6 MX$893

-52.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.42 ฿406

$18.32 MX$317

-32.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿255

$5.07 MX$87.6

54.04%

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

$141 ฿4,591

$201 MX$3,473

-30.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,354 ฿305.5K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

79.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.97 ฿979

$36.92 MX$639

-18.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.69 ฿643

$39.79 MX$688

-50.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.9 ฿2,023

$78.5 MX$1,357

-21.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.07 ฿1,407

$87.1 MX$1,506

-50.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿14.8K

$973 MX$16.8K

-53.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 ฿12.0K

$468 MX$8,090

-21.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 ฿25.6K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-52.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 ฿22.5K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-43.54%

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)

$368 ฿12.0K

$664 MX$11.5K

-44.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

11.42

-52.28%

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

Last update for Cha-am: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Cha-am and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 80% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $21.00 in Cha-am vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $249 per month, with Cha-am cheaper across the board.

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

Cha-am vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cha-am and Playa del Carmen differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($922 vs $1,297 including rent). Cha-am is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 80% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $455 in Cha-am versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $141 in Cha-am versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cha-am – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $922 in Cha-am versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cha-am but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cha-am the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cha-am and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cha-am gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.