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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,628 in Charleville versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,773 in Charleville versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,918 in Charleville versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Charleville is roughly 108% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Charleville is 92% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.01 A$28.11

$11.60 MX$199

72.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 A$136

$47.11 MX$809

104.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 A$17.12

$11.88 MX$204

2.61%

Cappuccino

$3.59 A$5.04

$3.98 MX$68.2

-9.80%

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

$2.64 A$3.71

$1.43 MX$24.49

84.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.42

$0.82 MX$14.16

196.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.69 A$10.81

$3.19 MX$54.7

141.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 A$11.09

$6.79 MX$117

16.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 A$2.14

$1.68 MX$28.76

-8.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 A$3.77

$2.20 MX$37.71

21.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 A$3.65

$1.71 MX$29.32

51.46%

Eggs

$5.34 A$7.50

$2.74 MX$47.05

94.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 A$12.94

$9.58 MX$164

-3.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.81 A$13.78

$9.01 MX$155

8.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.28 A$22.87

$12.81 MX$220

27.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.47

$2.89 MX$49.58

10.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.51 A$4.93

$1.50 MX$25.70

134.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 A$4.72

$2.15 MX$36.87

56.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 A$6.70

$2.26 MX$38.79

111.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.58

$1.98 MX$34.00

28.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.90

$1.99 MX$34.15

39.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.19

$1.23 MX$21.18

84.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 A$2.27

$1.20 MX$20.54

35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$36.03 A$50.6

$4.55 MX$78.1

691.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 A$20.79

$10.37 MX$178

42.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.00 A$7.02

$1.62 MX$27.79

208.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.30 A$8.85

$2.88 MX$49.44

118.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 A$4.11

$0.60 MX$10.30

386.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 A$136

$28.80 MX$494

234.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.27

$5.39 MX$92.5

-30.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 A$2.01

$3.73 MX$64.0

-61.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 A$57.9

$5.77 MX$99.0

614.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.70

$1.54 MX$26.37

-21.43%

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

$29.5K A$41.5K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

31.05%

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

$35.1K A$49.3K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

34.65%

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

$199 A$279

$91.4 MX$1,569

117.33%

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

$29.86 A$41.96

$25.20 MX$433

18.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 A$82.9

$31.24 MX$536

88.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.3 A$87.5

$67.2 MX$1,154

-7.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.29 A$28.50

$29.11 MX$500

-30.30%

Cinema Ticket

$15.95 A$22.41

$4.86 MX$83.5

228.19%

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

$2,220 A$3,119

$224 MX$3,839

892.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K A$32.2K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

442.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$120

$47.10 MX$808

80.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 A$70.8

$44.29 MX$760

13.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 A$163

$80.1 MX$1,375

44.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 A$161

$92.7 MX$1,591

23.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 A$2,035

$1,063 MX$18.2K

36.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 A$1,583

$390 MX$6,698

188.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,254 A$3,167

$2,149 MX$36.9K

4.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 A$2,771

$1,272 MX$21.8K

55.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,572 A$9,234

$4,001 MX$68.7K

64.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,841 A$8,206

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-10.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.87

11.45

-48.73%

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

Last update for Charleville: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,449 in Charleville and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $96.0 in Charleville vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $276 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

Charleville 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 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,942 in Charleville and $1,899 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: $1,449 in Charleville versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,628 per month in Charleville versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 235% less than in Charleville. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,628 in Charleville, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Charleville. 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 Charleville, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Charleville 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 108% less than in Charleville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.