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: $3,528 in Cham versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,360 in Cham versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,192 in Cham versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cham is roughly 180% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cham is 164% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.23

$11.95 MX$209

158.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 121

$41.94 MX$734

251.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.66 CHF 16.08

$10.42 MX$182

88.68%

Cappuccino

$6.74 CHF 5.51

$3.51 MX$61.5

92.02%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.51

$1.52 MX$26.53

262.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 CHF 4.07

$0.91 MX$15.93

447.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 CHF 8.22

$3.04 MX$53.2

230.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 CHF 6.28

$4.37 MX$76.5

75.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.83

$1.42 MX$24.86

57.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.72

$1.83 MX$32.03

81.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.39

$1.63 MX$28.60

154.60%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.91

$2.54 MX$44.43

184.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.77 CHF 23.52

$8.57 MX$150

235.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.10 CHF 27.07

$8.49 MX$149

289.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.54 CHF 36.42

$10.80 MX$189

312.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.29

$2.75 MX$48.19

46.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 CHF 2.22

$1.44 MX$25.13

88.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.44

$1.89 MX$33.00

57.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 4.13

$2.17 MX$37.96

132.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$1.78 MX$31.13

61.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.88

$2.22 MX$38.91

3.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.10

$1.07 MX$18.70

140.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CHF 1.24

$1.08 MX$18.89

40.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.16

$4.15 MX$72.5

169.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.01 CHF 10.64

$10.45 MX$183

24.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$1.74 MX$30.50

36.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CHF 2.59

$2.58 MX$45.16

22.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 CHF 3.17

$0.51 MX$8.98

660.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 CHF 81.0

$25.94 MX$454

282.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 CHF 6.35

$3.21 MX$56.2

142.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.15 CHF 3.40

$2.50 MX$43.78

66.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 70.6

$3.19 MX$55.7

2606.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$1.26 MX$21.98

78.57%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

$29.7K MX$519.3K

38.52%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$23.7K MX$414.3K

68.38%

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

$255 CHF 209

$82.0 MX$1,435

211.35%

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

$35.13 CHF 28.73

$22.73 MX$398

54.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 48.16

$29.42 MX$515

100.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.2 CHF 70.5

$52.2 MX$913

65.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$22.76 CHF 18.61

$4.93 MX$86.3

361.66%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,133

$202 MX$3,530

1193.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$5,217 MX$91.3K

551.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 108

$35.93 MX$629

266.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.6 CHF 49.57

$40.33 MX$706

50.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 121

$79.9 MX$1,397

85.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 CHF 167

$89.3 MX$1,562

128.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 CHF 1,394

$948 MX$16.6K

79.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,201

$465 MX$8,140

215.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 CHF 2,310

$1,630 MX$28.5K

73.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 CHF 2,049

$1,193 MX$20.9K

110.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.8K

$3,933 MX$68.8K

329.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.1K CHF 11.5K

$6,428 MX$112.4K

118.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,705 in Cham and $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Cham vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $646 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 180% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,293 in Cham and $1,888 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: $1,705 in Cham versus $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Cham versus $202 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 156% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,528 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 180% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.