Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chartres and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,745 in Chartres, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chartres, France
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Chartres
🇫🇷 France
$1,745
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chartres and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chartres and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,745 per month in Chartres vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Chartres $1,745
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,654 per month in Chartres vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Chartres $2,654
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,562 per month in Chartres vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Chartres $3,562
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Chartres costs about 45% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Chartres sits 28% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chartres
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.66 €13.14
$10.92 MX$205
34.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.78 €44.61
$43.37 MX$815
14.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.72 €9.60
$11.78 MX$221
-9.00%
Cappuccino
$2.65 €2.38
$3.81 MX$71.6
-30.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 €2.78
$1.28 MX$24.10
142.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 €1.37
$0.78 MX$14.71
96.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.61 €7.71
$3.17 MX$59.5
171.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 €5.09
$4.93 MX$92.7
15.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chartres
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.41 MX$26.43
-4.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.22 MX$41.66
-21.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.57 €2.30
$1.42 MX$26.64
80.99%
Eggs
$3.98 €3.57
$2.52 MX$47.41
57.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 €9.13
$7.26 MX$137
40.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.82 €10.59
$7.70 MX$145
53.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.18 €14.50
$12.69 MX$239
27.50%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 €2.76
$2.78 MX$52.3
10.79%
Banana (1kg)
$3.14 €2.82
$1.37 MX$25.71
129.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.46 €1.30
$2.55 MX$47.94
-42.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.31 €3.86
$2.12 MX$39.90
103.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.94 MX$36.43
-7.22%
Onion (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.89 MX$35.44
10.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.15 MX$21.55
42.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.13 €0.12
$1.18 MX$22.16
-88.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.69 €11.37
$4.30 MX$80.7
195.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.52 €4.95
$9.95 MX$187
-44.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 €1.25
$1.58 MX$29.76
-11.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 €1.41
$2.67 MX$50.2
-41.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Chartres
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.97 €1.76
$0.55 MX$10.40
258.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.28 €44.16
$26.62 MX$500
85.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.33 €2.08
$4.97 MX$93.4
-53.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.11 €1.00
$3.33 MX$62.6
-66.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.85 €29.44
$5.36 MX$101
512.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 €1.94
$1.44 MX$27.14
50.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.9K €15.2K
$20.7K MX$388.4K
-18.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K €21.4K
$23.5K MX$441.0K
1.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chartres
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 €181
$84.8 MX$1,594
138.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.60 €19.36
$23.41 MX$440
-7.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.27 €28.91
$28.66 MX$539
12.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chartres
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.65 €31.94
$57.1 MX$1,072
-37.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.16 €11.79
$28.91 MX$543
-54.48%
Cinema Ticket
$15.46 €13.86
$5.14 MX$96.6
200.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chartres
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$886 €794
$207 MX$3,882
328.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K €10.8K
$3,927 MX$73.8K
205.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chartres
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$128 €115
$43.35 MX$815
195.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.44 €41.61
$41.44 MX$779
12.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.1
$74.2 MX$1,394
37.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.5 €87.4
$89.3 MX$1,677
9.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chartres
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 €677
$980 MX$18.4K
-22.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$639 €573
$381 MX$7,157
67.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,445 €1,295
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-15.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 €1,049
$1,075 MX$20.2K
8.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,188 €3,753
$3,943 MX$74.1K
6.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,043 €1,830
$6,158 MX$115.7K
-66.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chartres
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.9
11.45
-65.94%

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

Last update for Chartres: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chartres
$639
Playa del Carmen
$381 40.4% $258
Groceries & Markets
Chartres
$296
Playa del Carmen
$255 13.9% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chartres
$256
Playa del Carmen
$137 46.6% $120
Eating Out
Chartres
$254
Playa del Carmen
$202 20.4% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Chartres
$168
Playa del Carmen
$112 33.6% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Chartres
$67
Playa del Carmen
$67 1.1% $0.7
Getting Around
Chartres
$65
Playa del Carmen
$50 22.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Chartres versus $980 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 $50 in Chartres versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Chartres
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
03:38 3:38 AM
21:38 9:38 PM
6 h behind Chartres
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,447
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chartres Playa del Carmen 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chartres
  • Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Chartres or Playa del Carmen?
Chartres costs about 45% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chartres and in Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,618 per month in Chartres and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chartres or Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chartres, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $756 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
How do childcare costs compare in Chartres and in Playa del Carmen?
Kindergarten costs $886 per month in Chartres and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chartres or in Playa del Carmen?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Chartres, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Chartres or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Chartres at $1,745. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chartres it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chartres or Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,745 in Chartres. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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