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 $1,534 per month in Chaves vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Chaves vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,829 per month in Chaves vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Chaves costs about 18% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Chaves sits 14% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.28 €7.18

$11.73 MX$205

-29.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.88 €19.85

$41.62 MX$727

-45.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 €6.95

$10.64 MX$186

-24.62%

Cappuccino

$1.72 €1.49

$3.52 MX$61.5

-51.14%

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

$1.77 €1.54

$1.51 MX$26.37

17.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.97 MX$17.00

-38.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 €1.95

$2.95 MX$51.5

-23.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.95

$4.45 MX$77.8

-23.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.38 MX$24.16

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.49

$1.89 MX$33.04

-8.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.64 MX$28.59

17.07%

Eggs

$3.11 €2.70

$2.51 MX$43.76

23.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 €9.68

$8.34 MX$146

33.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.15 €7.07

$8.34 MX$146

-2.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 €12.10

$10.73 MX$187

29.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.16

$2.60 MX$45.48

-4.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.46 MX$25.45

6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.90 MX$33.19

3.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 €2.64

$2.08 MX$36.26

46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.78 MX$31.01

-26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.64

$2.19 MX$38.16

-13.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 €1.46

$1.04 MX$18.16

61.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.81

$1.08 MX$18.80

-13.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 €5.24

$4.08 MX$71.3

48.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$10.32 MX$180

-61.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.71 MX$29.90

-36.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.28

$2.58 MX$44.98

1.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.03

$0.51 MX$8.90

358.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.63 €36.99

$26.46 MX$462

61.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.57

$3.26 MX$57.0

26.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 €1.03

$2.49 MX$43.51

-52.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.32 €12.42

$3.25 MX$56.7

340.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.65

$1.31 MX$22.83

45.04%

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

$38.3K €33.2K

$30.3K MX$528.8K

26.43%

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

$39.9K €34.6K

$23.4K MX$409.2K

70.31%

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

$133 €115

$82.9 MX$1,447

60.54%

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

$21.11 €18.32

$22.22 MX$388

-5.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.60 €36.96

$29.34 MX$512

45.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.90 €38.09

$51.6 MX$902

-14.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.64 €4.90

$18.32 MX$320

-69.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 €5.94

$5.07 MX$88.5

35.11%

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

$348 €302

$201 MX$3,507

73.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,364 €7,256

$5,212 MX$91.0K

60.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 €64.4

$36.92 MX$645

101.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.87 €19.84

$39.79 MX$695

-42.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 €59.9

$78.5 MX$1,370

-12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 €69.4

$87.1 MX$1,521

-8.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 €796

$973 MX$17.0K

-5.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 €622

$468 MX$8,169

53.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 €1,284

$1,641 MX$28.7K

-9.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 €1,006

$1,221 MX$21.3K

-5.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,053 €914

$664 MX$11.6K

58.67%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $917 in Chaves versus $973 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 59% 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 – $253 in Chaves vs $249 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 18% 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 $2,300 per month in Chaves and $1,945 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 61% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $348 per month in Chaves and $201 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 $1,297, than in Chaves at $1,534. 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 $1,297 versus $1,534 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.