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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,291 in Chaguanas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,025 in Chaguanas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,760 in Chaguanas.

Monthly costs are close between Playa del Carmen and Chaguanas; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Chaguanas 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$7.28 TTD 49.42

64.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$90.0 TTD 611

-52.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.55 TTD 51.2

40.26%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.05 TTD 20.70

18.69%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.08 TTD 7.37

36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.77 TTD 5.23

22.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.88 TTD 12.78

64.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.65 TTD 17.96

68.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.69 TTD 18.30

-46.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.30 TTD 15.62

-18.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.67 TTD 18.14

-38.95%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$4.03 TTD 27.38

-34.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.83 TTD 53.1

4.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$9.45 TTD 64.2

-12.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$12.34 TTD 83.8

-10.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$4.50 TTD 30.54

-41.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.60 TTD 17.65

-42.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$3.70 TTD 25.15

-46.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$4.45 TTD 30.21

-53.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.47 TTD 10.01

21.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.70 TTD 11.57

28.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.49 TTD 10.14

-27.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.23 TTD 8.35

-15.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.63 TTD 31.45

-14.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$17.53 TTD 119

-41.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.17 TTD 14.74

-20.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.82 TTD 19.12

-11.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.24 TTD 8.43

-58.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.00 TTD 6.81

214.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.04 TTD 7.05

130.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$15.07 TTD 102

-79.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.97 TTD 6.57

30.93%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$33.2K TTD 225.4K

-6.98%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$36.2K TTD 246.1K

-35.68%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$80.8 TTD 549

1.47%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$46.53 TTD 316

-51.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$51.8 TTD 351

-42.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$43.92 TTD 298

18.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$29.38 TTD 200

-36.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$8.90 TTD 60.4

-44.16%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$319 TTD 2,164

-37.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,197 TTD 48.9K

-26.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$54.7 TTD 371

-33.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$38.52 TTD 262

3.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$134 TTD 910

-40.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$118 TTD 799

-24.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$439 TTD 2,978

119.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$378 TTD 2,563

23.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$634 TTD 4,303

151.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$536 TTD 3,638

125.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$943 TTD 6,405

-23.64%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Chaguanas: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $439 in Chaguanas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chaguanas pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $90.0 in Chaguanas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 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

On paper, Chaguanas earns 31% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $439 in Chaguanas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Chaguanas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $90.0 in Chaguanas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,291 in Chaguanas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Chaguanas. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,287 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen 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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Chaguanas on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.