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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,580 per month in Chaves vs $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,240 per month in Chaves vs $2,177 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,901 per month in Chaves vs $3,095 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Chaves costs about 26% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Chaves sits 18% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.99 €7.00

$11.95 MX$208

-33.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.21 €20.33

$41.94 MX$730

-44.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 €6.97

$10.42 MX$181

-23.61%

Cappuccino

$1.71 €1.49

$3.51 MX$61.2

-51.28%

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

$1.72 €1.50

$1.52 MX$26.39

13.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$0.91 MX$15.84

-38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 €1.98

$3.04 MX$52.9

-25.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.11

$4.37 MX$76.1

-18.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.42 MX$24.73

-23.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.83 MX$31.87

-6.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.63 MX$28.45

17.79%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.71

$2.54 MX$44.20

22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.37 €9.96

$8.57 MX$149

32.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.04

$8.49 MX$148

-5.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.29 €12.52

$10.80 MX$188

32.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 €2.19

$2.75 MX$47.94

-9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.33

$1.44 MX$25.00

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.89 MX$32.83

4.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 €2.62

$2.17 MX$37.77

37.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.78 MX$30.97

-23.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$2.22 MX$38.71

-15.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.45

$1.07 MX$18.60

55.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.08 MX$18.79

-12.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 €5.31

$4.15 MX$72.2

46.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.88 €3.40

$10.45 MX$182

-62.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.01

$1.74 MX$30.34

-33.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 €2.27

$2.58 MX$44.92

0.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.04

$0.51 MX$8.94

354.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.47 €37.21

$25.94 MX$451

63.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 €3.47

$3.21 MX$55.9

23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 €1.09

$2.50 MX$43.55

-50.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.22 €12.46

$3.19 MX$55.4

345.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.67

$1.26 MX$21.87

51.59%

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

$38.2K €33.5K

$29.7K MX$516.6K

28.72%

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

$38.8K €34.0K

$23.7K MX$412.1K

63.99%

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

$133 €116

$82.0 MX$1,427

62.01%

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

$21.68 €18.99

$22.73 MX$395

-4.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.80 €37.50

$29.42 MX$512

45.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.31 €38.82

$52.2 MX$908

-15.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 €5.17

$18.45 MX$321

-68.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 €6.12

$4.93 MX$85.9

41.78%

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

$351 €308

$202 MX$3,511

74.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,181 €7,168

$5,217 MX$90.8K

56.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 €65.6

$35.93 MX$625

108.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.71 €19.90

$40.33 MX$702

-43.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 €61.9

$79.9 MX$1,390

-11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 €70.5

$89.3 MX$1,554

-9.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 €814

$948 MX$16.5K

-2.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 €651

$465 MX$8,097

59.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 €1,314

$1,630 MX$28.4K

-7.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 €1,000

$1,193 MX$20.8K

-4.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,926 €1,687

$3,933 MX$68.4K

-51.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,472 €1,290

$6,428 MX$111.9K

-77.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,034 €906

$658 MX$11.5K

57.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

11.42

-52.45%

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

Last update for Chaves: July 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $929 in Chaves versus $948 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.

Salaries run about 57% higher in Chaves, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Chaves versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $254 in Chaves vs $252 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Chaves costs about 26% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,370 per month in Chaves and $1,888 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.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $351 per month in Chaves and $202 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,259, than in Chaves at $1,580. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chaves it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,259 versus $1,580 in Chaves. 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, Chaves makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.