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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,645 per month in Chartres vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,505 per month in Chartres vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,365 per month in Chartres vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Chartres costs about 29% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Chartres sits 22% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.13 €14.85

$11.87 MX$207

44.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 €46.81

$42.90 MX$749

25.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.59

$10.65 MX$186

3.85%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.71

$3.45 MX$60.2

-9.57%

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

$2.87 €2.49

$1.50 MX$26.24

91.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.63

$0.95 MX$16.56

97.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 €5.40

$3.03 MX$52.8

105.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.96

$4.61 MX$80.4

24.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.38 MX$24.01

-18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.49

$1.85 MX$32.24

-7.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.61 MX$28.11

44.10%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.45

$2.59 MX$45.26

53.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.16 €19.20

$8.26 MX$144

168.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.31 €11.53

$8.37 MX$146

59.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.58 €15.24

$10.66 MX$186

64.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 €3.25

$2.63 MX$45.89

42.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.87

$1.49 MX$25.96

44.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 €2.12

$1.92 MX$33.50

27.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 €2.81

$2.09 MX$36.41

55.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.64

$1.86 MX$32.42

1.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.04

$2.26 MX$39.47

-47.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.03

$1.06 MX$18.54

12.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.56

$1.09 MX$18.98

-40.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.75 €10.19

$4.15 MX$72.4

183.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 €5.63

$10.39 MX$181

-37.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.02

$1.72 MX$30.09

35.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.88

$2.61 MX$45.60

71.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.49

$0.54 MX$9.46

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.63 €43.01

$26.94 MX$470

84.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €3.90

$3.13 MX$54.6

43.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 €1.57

$2.51 MX$43.82

-27.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.76 €27.53

$3.15 MX$55.0

908.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.80

$1.27 MX$22.25

63.78%

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

$17.3K €15.0K

$30.4K MX$530.1K

-42.91%

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

$25.1K €21.8K

$23.6K MX$411.3K

6.57%

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

$193 €168

$83.0 MX$1,449

133.05%

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

$21.61 €18.73

$22.71 MX$396

-4.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.85 €25.87

$29.46 MX$514

1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.29 €24.52

$51.0 MX$890

-44.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.10 €15.69

$18.33 MX$320

-1.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.62 €12.67

$4.93 MX$86.0

196.55%

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

$572 €496

$197 MX$3,444

190.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,667 €7,512

$5,280 MX$92.1K

64.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 €78.4

$36.90 MX$644

145.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.32 €32.34

$39.89 MX$696

-6.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 €75.0

$80.0 MX$1,396

8.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 €86.7

$89.5 MX$1,561

11.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 €683

$956 MX$16.7K

-17.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 €427

$477 MX$8,327

3.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 €809

$1,646 MX$28.7K

-43.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 €716

$1,225 MX$21.4K

-32.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 €3,633

$3,918 MX$68.4K

6.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,134 €2,717

$6,459 MX$112.7K

-51.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

11.42

-67.69%

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

Last update for Chartres: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Chartres versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Chartres versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $250 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Chartres costs about 29% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,468 per month in Chartres and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $572 per month in Chartres and $197 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Chartres, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Chartres at $1,645. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chartres it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,271 versus $1,645 in Chartres. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chartres makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.