Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chieti and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,735 in Chieti, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chieti, Italy
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Chieti
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,735
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chieti 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 Chieti and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,735 per month in Chieti vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Chieti $1,735
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $2,666 per month in Chieti vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Chieti $2,666
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,597 per month in Chieti vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Chieti $3,597
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Chieti costs about 44% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chieti sits 28% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chieti
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.21 €19.78
$10.67 MX$200
108.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$87.6 €78.0
$43.80 MX$823
100.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.23 €9.11
$11.79 MX$221
-13.23%
Cappuccino
$1.53 €1.36
$3.79 MX$71.1
-59.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 €2.63
$1.30 MX$24.36
126.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 €1.01
$0.83 MX$15.65
36.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.01 €4.46
$3.15 MX$59.1
59.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.17 €4.61
$4.93 MX$92.7
4.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chieti
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 €1.41
$1.41 MX$26.46
12.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.20 MX$41.23
3.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.85 €2.53
$1.47 MX$27.66
93.88%
Eggs
$4.04 €3.59
$2.50 MX$46.89
61.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.39 €14.59
$7.29 MX$137
124.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.35 €10.99
$7.95 MX$149
55.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.07 €17.87
$12.86 MX$242
56.07%
Apples (1kg)
$2.57 €2.29
$2.90 MX$54.4
-11.38%
Banana (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$1.38 MX$25.98
57.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 €2.34
$2.49 MX$46.78
5.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.13 €2.79
$2.03 MX$38.12
54.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 €1.74
$2.02 MX$38.03
-3.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.81 €1.61
$1.90 MX$35.74
-4.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.14 MX$21.49
27.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 €0.46
$1.24 MX$23.27
-58.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.73 €6.00
$4.27 MX$80.2
57.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.88 €6.13
$9.81 MX$184
-29.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 €1.53
$1.59 MX$29.78
7.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.94
$2.75 MX$51.6
-20.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Chieti
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.67 €1.48
$0.51 MX$9.67
227.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.52 €36.97
$27.39 MX$514
51.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 €5.00
$4.76 MX$89.4
18.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.70 €1.51
$3.25 MX$61.0
-47.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.67 €27.30
$5.39 MX$101
469.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 €1.85
$1.53 MX$28.70
35.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.9K €31.9K
$21.2K MX$398.4K
69.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.6K €32.6K
$23.3K MX$436.9K
57.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chieti
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €183
$83.5 MX$1,568
145.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.17 €9.06
$23.19 MX$435
-56.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.96 €26.68
$27.61 MX$519
8.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chieti
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.6 €48.61
$56.4 MX$1,060
-3.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.45 €20.88
$28.19 MX$529
-16.81%
Cinema Ticket
$9.98 €8.89
$5.00 MX$93.9
99.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chieti
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$553 €492
$207 MX$3,889
167.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.2K €9,074
$5,231 MX$98.2K
94.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chieti
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.4 €78.7
$43.45 MX$816
103.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.60 €32.59
$42.54 MX$799
-13.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.0 €86.3
$72.8 MX$1,367
33.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 €116
$88.4 MX$1,660
47.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chieti
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$727 €648
$995 MX$18.7K
-26.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$579 €515
$382 MX$7,181
51.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 €1,016
$1,674 MX$31.4K
-31.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$877 €781
$1,081 MX$20.3K
-18.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,969 €2,644
$3,909 MX$73.4K
-24.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,025 €1,803
$6,138 MX$115.3K
-67.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chieti
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,213 €1,080
$832 MX$15.6K
45.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.32
11.45
-71.00%

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

Last update for Chieti: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chieti
$579
Playa del Carmen
$382 33.9% $196
Groceries & Markets
Chieti
$337
Playa del Carmen
$257 23.7% $80
Eating Out
Chieti
$279
Playa del Carmen
$200 28.1% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chieti
$245
Playa del Carmen
$134 45.3% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Chieti
$158
Playa del Carmen
$111 29.8% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Chieti
$75
Playa del Carmen
$66 10.9% $8.1
Getting Around
Chieti
$62
Playa del Carmen
$50 19% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $727 in Chieti versus $995 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 46% higher in Chieti. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88 in Chieti versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Chieti
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
12:10 12:10 PM
06:10 6:10 AM
6 h behind Chieti
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
51,815
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chieti Playa del Carmen 9,350 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chieti
  • 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
Chieti vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Chieti?
Yes – Chieti is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,603 per month in Chieti and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chieti, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $727 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
How do food prices compare in Chieti and in Playa del Carmen?
Groceries cost about 31% more in Chieti, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Chieti or in Playa del Carmen?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $88 in Chieti and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Chieti or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Chieti at $1,735. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chieti it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Chieti or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,735 in Chieti. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chieti makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Chieti vs other spots: cost of living compared

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