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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,622 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,410 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $7,198 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 5% below, Cham is 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$31.40 CHF 25.63

-61.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$126 CHF 103

-62.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$18.26 CHF 14.91

-35.65%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$6.05 CHF 4.94

-31.90%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$5.68 CHF 4.63

-75.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$4.79 CHF 3.91

-81.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$8.40 CHF 6.86

-61.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$6.82 CHF 5.57

3.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.22 CHF 1.81

-24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$4.05 CHF 3.30

-46.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$3.83 CHF 3.13

-53.79%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$7.36 CHF 6.01

-61.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$27.93 CHF 22.79

-67.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$27.68 CHF 22.59

-66.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$43.42 CHF 35.44

-70.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$4.12 CHF 3.36

-28.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-30.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$3.30 CHF 2.70

-32.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$4.72 CHF 3.85

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$2.52 CHF 2.06

-21.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$2.56 CHF 2.09

-51.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.20 CHF 0.98

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$11.20 CHF 9.14

-58.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$13.61 CHF 11.11

-22.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.87 CHF 2.34

-41.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.20 CHF 2.62

-13.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$5.00 CHF 4.08

-88.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$152 CHF 124

-80.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$5.61 CHF 4.58

-6.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.47 CHF 2.83

5.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$61.9 CHF 50.5

-90.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-32.46%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

-43.91%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-35.36%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$288 CHF 235

-68.50%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$32.30 CHF 26.36

-22.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$57.2 CHF 46.65

-44.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$92.4 CHF 75.4

-25.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$42.34 CHF 34.56

-30.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$25.03 CHF 20.43

-80.58%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$1,818 CHF 1,484

-87.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

-87.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$148 CHF 121

-68.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$60.7 CHF 49.56

-28.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$167 CHF 136

-51.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$261 CHF 213

-65.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$1,732 CHF 1,413

-37.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$1,469 CHF 1,199

-72.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$2,875 CHF 2,346

-31.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$2,682 CHF 2,189

-52.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

-77.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

-50.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.07

453.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $1,732 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $126 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $616 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 $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $5,434 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,732 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,818 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 122% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,622 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.