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: $3,443 in Cham versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,403 in Cham versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,363 in Cham versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cham is roughly 171% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cham is 156% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.00 CHF 24.78

$11.87 MX$207

161.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 119

$42.90 MX$749

247.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.08 CHF 16.05

$10.65 MX$186

88.54%

Cappuccino

$6.92 CHF 5.53

$3.45 MX$60.2

100.58%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.55

$1.50 MX$26.24

279.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 CHF 4.07

$0.95 MX$16.56

435.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.67

$3.03 MX$52.8

216.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 CHF 5.84

$4.61 MX$80.4

58.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.80

$1.38 MX$24.01

63.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 CHF 2.69

$1.85 MX$32.24

81.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.29

$1.61 MX$28.11

155.28%

Eggs

$7.30 CHF 5.84

$2.59 MX$45.26

181.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.12 CHF 22.48

$8.26 MX$144

240.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.90 CHF 26.30

$8.37 MX$146

293.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.82 CHF 35.83

$10.66 MX$186

320.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.12

$2.63 MX$45.89

48.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.20

$1.49 MX$25.96

85.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 CHF 2.48

$1.92 MX$33.50

61.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 CHF 4.06

$2.09 MX$36.41

142.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CHF 2.23

$1.86 MX$32.42

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 CHF 1.80

$2.26 MX$39.47

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.00

$1.06 MX$18.54

136.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CHF 1.20

$1.09 MX$18.98

37.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 CHF 8.69

$4.15 MX$72.4

162.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.60 CHF 10.87

$10.39 MX$181

30.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.86

$1.72 MX$30.09

35.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CHF 2.41

$2.61 MX$45.60

15.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 CHF 3.15

$0.54 MX$9.46

631.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 CHF 79.2

$26.94 MX$470

267.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 CHF 6.14

$3.13 MX$54.6

145.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.35 CHF 3.47

$2.51 MX$43.82

73.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.0 CHF 67.9

$3.15 MX$55.0

2596.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.84

$1.27 MX$22.25

81.10%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.4K

$30.4K MX$530.1K

33.62%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.0K

$23.6K MX$411.3K

64.36%

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

$254 CHF 203

$83.0 MX$1,449

206.35%

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

$36.17 CHF 28.91

$22.71 MX$396

59.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 CHF 47.00

$29.46 MX$514

99.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.3 CHF 71.3

$51.0 MX$890

75.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 18.16

$4.93 MX$86.0

360.85%

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

$2,568 CHF 2,053

$197 MX$3,444

1201.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

$5,280 MX$92.1K

547.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 106

$36.90 MX$644

257.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 CHF 49.95

$39.89 MX$696

56.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 119

$80.0 MX$1,396

85.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 CHF 160

$89.5 MX$1,561

124.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 CHF 1,338

$956 MX$16.7K

75.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 CHF 1,160

$477 MX$8,327

204.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,848 CHF 2,277

$1,646 MX$28.7K

73.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 CHF 1,967

$1,225 MX$21.4K

100.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.9K CHF 11.9K

$3,918 MX$68.4K

280.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K CHF 9,482

$6,459 MX$112.7K

83.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,674 in Cham and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $149 in Cham vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $645 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

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 171% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,164 in Cham and $1,906 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: $1,674 in Cham versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,568 in Cham versus $197 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 158% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,443 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 171% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.