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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,341 per month in Chester vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,445 per month in Chester vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,549 per month in Chester vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Chester costs about 81% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Chester sits 75% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.12 £14.96

$11.73 MX$203

71.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 £71.1

$41.62 MX$720

129.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 £7.17

$10.64 MX$184

-9.30%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.49

$3.52 MX$60.9

33.52%

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

$2.37 £1.76

$1.51 MX$26.12

56.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.49

$0.97 MX$16.84

107.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.46 £4.80

$2.95 MX$51.0

118.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.62

$4.45 MX$77.0

39.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.38 MX$23.93

19.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.89 MX$32.72

-13.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$1.64 MX$28.32

32.93%

Eggs

$3.94 £2.93

$2.51 MX$43.34

56.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.30 £6.17

$8.34 MX$144

-0.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.76 £6.51

$8.34 MX$144

5.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.35 £6.21

$10.73 MX$186

-22.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 £2.13

$2.60 MX$45.04

10.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.46 MX$25.20

9.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 £3.02

$1.90 MX$32.87

113.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 £1.70

$2.08 MX$35.91

9.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.78 MX$30.71

-24.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 £1.04

$2.19 MX$37.80

-36.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.04 MX$17.99

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.08 MX$18.62

17.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.63 £15.33

$4.08 MX$70.6

405.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.58 £8.61

$10.32 MX$178

12.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 £2.26

$1.71 MX$29.61

77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.16

$2.58 MX$44.54

12.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.09 £3.04

$0.51 MX$8.81

701.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.78 £35.51

$26.46 MX$458

80.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 £3.00

$3.26 MX$56.4

23.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 £0.56

$2.49 MX$43.09

-69.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.62 £12.35

$3.25 MX$56.2

411.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.31 MX$22.61

43.51%

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

$38.8K £28.8K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

28.08%

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

$37.1K £27.6K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

58.33%

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

$319 £237

$82.9 MX$1,433

284.47%

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

$23.57 £17.52

$22.22 MX$384

6.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.66 £31.71

$29.34 MX$507

45.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 £29.32

$51.6 MX$893

-23.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.74 £10.21

$18.32 MX$317

-25.00%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 £10.22

$5.07 MX$87.6

171.20%

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

$1,617 £1,202

$201 MX$3,473

705.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K £9,901

$5,212 MX$90.1K

155.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 £66.5

$36.92 MX$639

142.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 £37.99

$39.79 MX$688

28.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 £93.6

$78.5 MX$1,357

60.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 £96.2

$87.1 MX$1,506

48.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 £1,012

$973 MX$16.8K

39.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 £807

$468 MX$8,090

132.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 £1,564

$1,641 MX$28.4K

28.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 £1,313

$1,221 MX$21.1K

44.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,048 £2,266

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-22.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,012 £2,238

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-53.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,182 £3,109

$664 MX$11.5K

529.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

11.42

-50.96%

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

Last update for Chester: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,361 in Chester 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 530% higher in Chester, 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 $96.0 in Chester versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $249 – 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

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

Chester costs about 81% 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 $3,511 per month in Chester 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,617 per month in Chester and $201 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 10% more in Chester, 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 $1,297, than in Chester at $2,341. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,297 versus $2,341 in Chester. 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, Chester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.