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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,249 in Chaguanas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,050 in Chaguanas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,850 in Chaguanas.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 4% more expensive than Chaguanas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Chaguanas 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$7.49 TTD 50.6

56.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$88.1 TTD 595

-52.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$7.54 TTD 50.9

38.06%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$3.17 TTD 21.43

13.88%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.04 TTD 7.02

40.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.83 TTD 5.58

16.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.88 TTD 12.70

55.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.70 TTD 18.26

71.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$2.55 TTD 17.24

-43.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$2.29 TTD 15.45

-17.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$2.67 TTD 18.02

-41.20%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$4.23 TTD 28.56

-37.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$7.72 TTD 52.2

9.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$9.14 TTD 61.8

-6.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$12.50 TTD 84.5

-12.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$4.56 TTD 30.81

-40.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$2.52 TTD 17.02

-40.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$3.70 TTD 25.02

-48.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$4.38 TTD 29.57

-50.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.44 TTD 9.74

29.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.67 TTD 11.30

33.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.46 TTD 9.85

-26.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.24 TTD 8.39

-13.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$4.77 TTD 32.22

-12.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$19.18 TTD 130

-46.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$2.20 TTD 14.85

-23.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.75 TTD 18.60

-8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$1.24 TTD 8.35

-55.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$1.00 TTD 6.77

220.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.03 TTD 6.97

138.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$14.74 TTD 99.6

-78.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$0.97 TTD 6.52

36.08%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$32.7K TTD 221.2K

-7.89%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$37.1K TTD 250.7K

-36.96%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$81.7 TTD 552

-0.39%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$46.78 TTD 316

-52.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$51.1 TTD 345

-41.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$43.95 TTD 297

17.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$29.12 TTD 197

-36.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$9.12 TTD 61.6

-43.42%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$312 TTD 2,107

-35.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$7,181 TTD 48.5K

-26.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$54.8 TTD 370

-34.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$38.72 TTD 262

4.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$136 TTD 918

-42.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$117 TTD 793

-26.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$428 TTD 2,889

122.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$381 TTD 2,571

25.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$619 TTD 4,181

161.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$533 TTD 3,604

129.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$779 TTD 5,262

-13.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.38

112.27%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Chaguanas: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $428 in Chaguanas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chaguanas pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $88.0 in Chaguanas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $340 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Chaguanas wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chaguanas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Chaguanas earns 16% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $428 in Chaguanas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,249 in Chaguanas – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,249 in Chaguanas versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chaguanas but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chaguanas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chaguanas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,249 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chaguanas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Chaguanas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chaguanas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.