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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,510 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,437 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $7,364 in Cham.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 64% less than in Cham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Cham is 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$30.40 CHF 23.83

-61.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$151 CHF 118

-72.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$19.86 CHF 15.57

-47.63%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$6.84 CHF 5.36

-47.22%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$5.57 CHF 4.37

-73.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$5.22 CHF 4.09

-82.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$10.09 CHF 7.91

-69.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$7.45 CHF 5.84

-40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$2.22 CHF 1.74

-37.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$3.26 CHF 2.56

-43.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$4.08 CHF 3.20

-60.54%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$7.22 CHF 5.66

-64.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$28.15 CHF 22.07

-69.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$33.89 CHF 26.57

-74.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$44.75 CHF 35.08

-75.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$3.82 CHF 2.99

-28.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$2.65 CHF 2.08

-43.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$3.02 CHF 2.36

-35.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$5.23 CHF 4.10

-59.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$2.73 CHF 2.14

-31.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$2.27 CHF 1.78

-4.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$2.49 CHF 1.95

-57.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$1.56 CHF 1.22

-32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$10.94 CHF 8.58

-61.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$15.44 CHF 12.10

-33.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$2.46 CHF 1.93

-32.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$3.02 CHF 2.37

-17.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$3.82 CHF 2.99

-85.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$98.6 CHF 77.3

-73.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$7.57 CHF 5.94

-59.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$4.11 CHF 3.22

-40.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$87.2 CHF 68.3

-96.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$2.34 CHF 1.84

-46.15%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$39.6K CHF 31.1K

-23.89%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$38.7K CHF 30.4K

-39.44%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$258 CHF 202

-67.40%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$36.19 CHF 28.37

-38.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$59.4 CHF 46.55

-50.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$88.5 CHF 69.4

-40.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$22.34 CHF 17.52

-77.84%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$2,563 CHF 2,009

-92.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$34.6K CHF 27.2K

-84.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$132 CHF 104

-72.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$61.4 CHF 48.12

-34.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$148 CHF 116

-46.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$199 CHF 156

-56.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$1,671 CHF 1,310

-41.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$1,459 CHF 1,144

-67.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$2,857 CHF 2,240

-44.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$2,503 CHF 1,962

-51.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$12.1K CHF 9,524

-66.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$12.0K CHF 9,428

-45.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

2.09

446.41%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Cham: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $1,671 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $151 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $652 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 Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 178% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $5,266 in Cham to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,671 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,563 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 159% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,510 in Cham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cham. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cham 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 178% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.