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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,435 per month in Chios vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,138 per month in Chios vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,840 per month in Chios vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Chios costs about 13% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Chios sits 7% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.43 €9.84

$11.87 MX$204

-3.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 €47.44

$42.90 MX$736

28.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 €9.50

$10.65 MX$183

3.57%

Cappuccino

$3.80 €3.27

$3.45 MX$59.2

10.14%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.50 MX$25.81

63.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.95 MX$16.28

-14.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.57 €3.94

$3.03 MX$51.9

50.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €3.91

$4.61 MX$79.1

-1.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.38 MX$23.61

20.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.85 MX$31.70

-23.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.61 MX$27.65

53.42%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.51

$2.59 MX$44.51

57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 €11.43

$8.26 MX$142

60.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.63 €8.30

$8.37 MX$144

15.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 €11.84

$10.66 MX$183

28.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.63 MX$45.12

-15.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.49 MX$25.53

38.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.92 MX$32.94

-23.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.09 MX$35.81

-5.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.08

$1.86 MX$31.88

-32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 €1.06

$2.26 MX$38.81

-45.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.88

$1.06 MX$18.23

-3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.65

$1.09 MX$18.67

-31.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.40 €4.65

$4.15 MX$71.2

30.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 €5.91

$10.39 MX$178

-33.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.72 MX$29.59

22.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

$2.61 MX$44.85

6.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.54 MX$9.30

181.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.05 €39.67

$26.94 MX$462

70.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 €4.03

$3.13 MX$53.7

49.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.45 €11.58

$3.15 MX$54.1

326.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.27 MX$21.88

70.08%

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

$31.6K €27.2K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

3.94%

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

$26.6K €22.9K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

12.77%

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

$213 €184

$83.0 MX$1,425

156.82%

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

$22.92 €19.75

$22.71 MX$390

0.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.08 €27.64

$29.46 MX$506

8.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.21 €41.53

$51.0 MX$875

-5.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.60 €22.92

$18.33 MX$315

45.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.74 €8.39

$4.93 MX$84.5

97.57%

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

$419 €361

$197 MX$3,386

112.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,042 €5,206

$5,280 MX$90.6K

14.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €76.8

$36.90 MX$633

141.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.01 €32.75

$39.89 MX$685

-4.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 €77.6

$80.0 MX$1,373

12.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.2

$89.5 MX$1,536

20.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 €431

$956 MX$16.4K

-47.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 €329

$477 MX$8,189

-19.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 €660

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-53.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$613 €528

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-49.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,277 €2,823

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-16.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,780 €2,395

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-56.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

11.42

-61.21%

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

Last update for Chios: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Chios versus $956 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Chios versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $250 – 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

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

Chios costs about 13% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,153 per month in Chios and $1,906 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 $419 per month in Chios and $197 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 Chios, 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 $1,271, than in Chios at $1,435. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chios it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,271 versus $1,435 in Chios. 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, Chios makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.