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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,251 in Chaguanas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,023 in Chaguanas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,794 in Chaguanas.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 1% more expensive than in Chaguanas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Chaguanas 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$7.36 TTD 49.42

59.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$88.9 TTD 597

-52.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.49 TTD 50.3

40.32%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.12 TTD 20.93

15.06%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.04 TTD 6.99

45.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.76 TTD 5.12

21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.83 TTD 12.30

61.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.63 TTD 17.69

67.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.55 TTD 17.13

-45.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.22 TTD 14.91

-15.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.69 TTD 18.09

-42.01%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$4.10 TTD 27.56

-36.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.76 TTD 52.1

7.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$9.16 TTD 61.5

-8.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$12.47 TTD 83.8

-12.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$4.67 TTD 31.37

-41.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.54 TTD 17.09

-40.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$3.68 TTD 24.71

-49.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$4.42 TTD 29.68

-50.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.45 TTD 9.72

28.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.74 TTD 11.67

28.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.44 TTD 9.67

-25.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.24 TTD 8.33

-12.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.60 TTD 30.86

-8.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$20.17 TTD 135

-48.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.14 TTD 14.35

-22.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.70 TTD 18.10

-3.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.29 TTD 8.65

-58.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.01 TTD 6.81

204.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.07 TTD 7.19

124.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$15.04 TTD 101

-79.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.91 TTD 6.09

43.96%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$32.8K TTD 220.3K

-9.14%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$36.8K TTD 246.9K

-36.57%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$80.8 TTD 542

0.62%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$47.42 TTD 318

-52.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$50.8 TTD 341

-40.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$43.79 TTD 294

20.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$29.35 TTD 197

-37.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$8.74 TTD 58.7

-43.71%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$318 TTD 2,133

-36.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$7,344 TTD 49.3K

-29.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$56.1 TTD 377

-35.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$38.92 TTD 261

3.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$136 TTD 910

-41.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$116 TTD 781

-25.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$427 TTD 2,864

129.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$384 TTD 2,579

22.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$636 TTD 4,274

159.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$547 TTD 3,676

119.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$778 TTD 5,222

-13.00%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chaguanas: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $427 in Chaguanas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chaguanas pays 15% 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 $89.0 in Chaguanas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $342 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 1% 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, salaries run 15% lower in Chaguanas. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $427 in Chaguanas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,251 in Chaguanas – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,251 in Chaguanas versus $1,260 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 $1,251 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 1% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.