Cost of Living Comparison Between Chaguanas and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Chaguanas and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,263 in Chaguanas versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,026 in Chaguanas versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,789 in Chaguanas versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Chaguanas costs roughly 1% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chaguanas 6% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.18 TTD 48.53

$11.87 MX$204

-39.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.1 TTD 609

$42.90 MX$736

110.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 TTD 49.49

$10.65 MX$183

-31.27%

Cappuccino

$3.15 TTD 21.28

$3.45 MX$59.2

-8.70%

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

$1.05 TTD 7.09

$1.50 MX$25.81

-30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 TTD 5.64

$0.95 MX$16.28

-12.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 TTD 12.23

$3.03 MX$51.9

-40.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 TTD 18.13

$4.61 MX$79.1

-41.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 TTD 17.86

$1.38 MX$23.61

91.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 TTD 14.72

$1.85 MX$31.70

17.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 TTD 18.24

$1.61 MX$27.65

67.70%

Eggs

$4.18 TTD 28.25

$2.59 MX$44.51

61.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 TTD 54.9

$8.26 MX$142

-1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 TTD 61.9

$8.37 MX$144

9.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.68 TTD 85.7

$10.66 MX$183

18.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 TTD 31.07

$2.63 MX$45.12

74.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 TTD 17.67

$1.49 MX$25.53

75.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 TTD 24.21

$1.92 MX$32.94

86.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 TTD 29.67

$2.09 MX$35.81

110.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 TTD 9.65

$1.86 MX$31.88

-23.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 TTD 11.22

$2.26 MX$38.81

-26.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 TTD 10.26

$1.06 MX$18.23

43.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 TTD 8.37

$1.09 MX$18.67

13.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 TTD 32.16

$4.15 MX$71.2

14.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 TTD 124

$10.39 MX$178

76.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 TTD 14.22

$1.72 MX$29.59

22.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 TTD 18.38

$2.61 MX$44.85

4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 TTD 8.71

$0.54 MX$9.30

138.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 TTD 7.14

$3.13 MX$53.7

-66.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 TTD 7.21

$2.51 MX$43.09

-57.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.68 TTD 99.2

$3.15 MX$54.1

366.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 TTD 6.48

$1.27 MX$21.88

-24.41%

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

$33.1K TTD 223.5K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

8.82%

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

$37.1K TTD 250.6K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

57.29%

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

$79.2 TTD 536

$83.0 MX$1,425

-4.55%

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

$47.23 TTD 319

$22.71 MX$390

107.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 TTD 349

$29.46 MX$506

75.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.85 TTD 303

$51.0 MX$875

-12.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 TTD 199

$18.33 MX$315

60.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.08 TTD 61.4

$4.93 MX$84.5

84.18%

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

$316 TTD 2,139

$197 MX$3,386

60.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,267 TTD 49.1K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

37.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 TTD 380

$36.90 MX$633

52.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.88 TTD 256

$39.89 MX$685

-5.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 TTD 922

$80.0 MX$1,373

70.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 TTD 816

$89.5 MX$1,536

34.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 TTD 2,938

$956 MX$16.4K

-54.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 TTD 2,601

$477 MX$8,189

-19.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 TTD 4,139

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-62.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$547 TTD 3,698

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-55.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$803 TTD 5,426

$667 MX$11.4K

20.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

11.42

-52.89%

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

Last update for Chaguanas: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Chaguanas and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chaguanas pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chaguanas vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $250 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Chaguanas wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chaguanas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Chaguanas pays 20% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $435 in Chaguanas versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,263 per month in Chaguanas versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,263 in Chaguanas versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chaguanas but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chaguanas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chaguanas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,263 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chaguanas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chaguanas 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 Chaguanas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.