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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,047 in Chillan versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,504 in Chillan versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,961 in Chillan versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Chillan costs roughly 18% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chillan 22% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 CLP 4,961

$11.87 MX$204

-53.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.29 CLP 24.5K

$42.90 MX$736

-36.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 CLP 5,661

$10.65 MX$183

-40.85%

Cappuccino

$3.10 CLP 2,788

$3.45 MX$59.2

-10.14%

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

$0.94 CLP 847

$1.50 MX$25.81

-37.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 CLP 877

$0.95 MX$16.28

3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 CLP 3,350

$3.03 MX$51.9

23.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 CLP 3,767

$4.61 MX$79.1

-9.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 CLP 1,027

$1.38 MX$23.61

-17.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 CLP 1,601

$1.85 MX$31.70

-3.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 CLP 1,666

$1.61 MX$27.65

14.91%

Eggs

$3.83 CLP 3,440

$2.59 MX$44.51

47.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.66 CLP 6,884

$8.26 MX$142

-7.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.79 CLP 6,101

$8.37 MX$144

-18.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 CLP 9,822

$10.66 MX$183

2.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 CLP 1,652

$2.63 MX$45.12

-30.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,360

$1.49 MX$25.53

1.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,434

$1.92 MX$32.94

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 CLP 1,314

$2.09 MX$35.81

-30.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 CLP 1,166

$1.86 MX$31.88

-30.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 CLP 1,216

$2.26 MX$38.81

-40.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 CLP 1,140

$1.06 MX$18.23

19.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,092

$1.09 MX$18.67

11.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.54 CLP 4,980

$4.15 MX$71.2

33.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.48 CLP 3,123

$10.39 MX$178

-66.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CLP 1,445

$1.72 MX$29.59

-6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 CLP 1,997

$2.61 MX$44.85

-14.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 CLP 564

$0.54 MX$9.30

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 CLP 426

$3.13 MX$53.7

-84.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CLP 1,229

$1.27 MX$21.88

7.87%

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

$12.6K CLP 11.3M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-58.54%

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

$15.4K CLP 13.9M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-34.54%

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

$135 CLP 121.4K

$83.0 MX$1,425

62.77%

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

$13.40 CLP 12.0K

$22.71 MX$390

-41.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.46 CLP 22.0K

$29.46 MX$506

-16.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.19 CLP 14.5K

$51.0 MX$875

-68.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.58 CLP 19.4K

$18.33 MX$315

17.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.75 CLP 10.6K

$4.93 MX$84.5

138.34%

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

$439 CLP 394.1K

$197 MX$3,386

122.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 CLP 45.8K

$36.90 MX$633

38.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.24 CLP 27.2K

$39.89 MX$685

-24.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.0 CLP 46.7K

$80.0 MX$1,373

-35.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 CLP 61.4K

$89.5 MX$1,536

-23.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 CLP 437.9K

$956 MX$16.4K

-49.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 CLP 335.4K

$477 MX$8,189

-21.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 CLP 416.5K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-71.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 CLP 536.6K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-51.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,621 CLP 2.4M

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-59.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$696 CLP 625.2K

$667 MX$11.4K

4.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

11.42

-54.64%

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

Last update for Chillan: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Chillan and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chillan pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Chillan vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $250 per month, with Chillan cheaper across the board.

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

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

Chillan and Playa del Carmen differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,047 vs $1,271 including rent). Chillan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Chillan pays 4% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Chillan versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,047 per month in Chillan versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,047 in Chillan versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chillan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chillan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Chillan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.