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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,510 in Cham versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,437 in Cham versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,364 in Cham versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cham is roughly 178% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cham is 162% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.40 CHF 23.83

$11.67 MX$202

160.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 CHF 118

$41.88 MX$726

259.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.86 CHF 15.57

$10.40 MX$180

90.96%

Cappuccino

$6.84 CHF 5.36

$3.61 MX$62.6

89.47%

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

$5.57 CHF 4.37

$1.47 MX$25.45

278.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CHF 4.09

$0.91 MX$15.80

473.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.91

$3.03 MX$52.6

233.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.84

$4.47 MX$77.4

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.74

$1.38 MX$23.83

60.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CHF 2.56

$1.84 MX$31.93

77.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.20

$1.61 MX$27.82

153.42%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.66

$2.57 MX$44.52

180.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.15 CHF 22.07

$8.49 MX$147

231.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.89 CHF 26.57

$8.49 MX$147

299.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.75 CHF 35.08

$10.99 MX$190

307.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$2.73 MX$47.25

39.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 CHF 2.08

$1.50 MX$25.92

76.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.36

$1.96 MX$33.93

54.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 CHF 4.10

$2.12 MX$36.70

146.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.14

$1.86 MX$32.30

46.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.78

$2.17 MX$37.67

4.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.95

$1.07 MX$18.59

132.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CHF 1.22

$1.05 MX$18.18

48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.58

$4.19 MX$72.6

161.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 CHF 12.10

$10.28 MX$178

50.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

$1.67 MX$28.87

47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CHF 2.37

$2.49 MX$43.12

21.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$0.54 MX$9.37

607.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.6 CHF 77.3

$26.27 MX$455

275.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 CHF 5.94

$3.10 MX$53.8

144.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$2.46 MX$42.66

67.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.3

$3.24 MX$56.1

2590.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 CHF 1.84

$1.26 MX$21.83

85.71%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.1K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

31.39%

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

$38.7K CHF 30.4K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

65.13%

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

$258 CHF 202

$84.0 MX$1,456

206.74%

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

$36.19 CHF 28.37

$22.21 MX$385

62.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CHF 46.55

$29.65 MX$514

100.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.5 CHF 69.4

$52.6 MX$912

68.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$22.34 CHF 17.52

$4.95 MX$85.7

351.31%

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

$2,563 CHF 2,009

$198 MX$3,438

1191.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.2K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

550.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 104

$35.95 MX$623

267.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CHF 48.12

$40.06 MX$694

53.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 116

$78.8 MX$1,365

88.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 156

$86.5 MX$1,499

130.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CHF 1,310

$977 MX$16.9K

71.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 CHF 1,144

$471 MX$8,158

209.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,857 CHF 2,240

$1,595 MX$27.6K

79.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 CHF 1,962

$1,215 MX$21.1K

106.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,524

$4,032 MX$69.9K

201.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,428

$6,579 MX$114.0K

82.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

11.42

-81.70%

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

Last update for Cham: April 22, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Cham and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $151 in Cham vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $652 vs $252 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 178% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,266 in Cham and $1,891 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,671 in Cham versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,563 in Cham versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 159% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,510 in Cham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cham. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cham 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 178% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.