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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,443 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,403 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $7,363 in Cham.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 63% less than in Cham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Cham is 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$31.00 CHF 24.78

-61.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$149 CHF 119

-71.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$20.08 CHF 16.05

-46.96%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$6.92 CHF 5.53

-50.14%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$5.69 CHF 4.55

-73.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$5.09 CHF 4.07

-81.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$9.60 CHF 7.67

-68.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$7.30 CHF 5.84

-36.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$2.26 CHF 1.80

-38.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$3.36 CHF 2.69

-44.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$4.11 CHF 3.29

-60.83%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$7.30 CHF 5.84

-64.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$28.12 CHF 22.48

-70.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$32.90 CHF 26.30

-74.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$44.82 CHF 35.83

-76.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$3.91 CHF 3.12

-32.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$2.76 CHF 2.20

-46.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$3.11 CHF 2.48

-38.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$5.07 CHF 4.06

-58.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$2.79 CHF 2.23

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$2.26 CHF 1.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$2.51 CHF 2.00

-57.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$1.50 CHF 1.20

-27.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$10.88 CHF 8.69

-61.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$13.60 CHF 10.87

-23.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$2.33 CHF 1.86

-26.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$3.02 CHF 2.41

-13.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$3.95 CHF 3.15

-86.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

$99.1 CHF 79.2

-72.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$7.68 CHF 6.14

-59.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$4.35 CHF 3.47

-42.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$85.0 CHF 67.9

-96.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$2.30 CHF 1.84

-44.78%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$40.6K CHF 32.4K

-25.16%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$38.7K CHF 31.0K

-39.16%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$254 CHF 203

-67.36%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$36.17 CHF 28.91

-37.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$58.8 CHF 47.00

-49.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

$89.3 CHF 71.3

-42.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$22.72 CHF 18.16

-78.30%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$2,568 CHF 2,053

-92.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

-84.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$132 CHF 106

-72.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$62.5 CHF 49.95

-36.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$149 CHF 119

-46.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$201 CHF 160

-55.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$1,674 CHF 1,338

-42.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

$1,451 CHF 1,160

-67.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

$2,848 CHF 2,277

-42.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$2,461 CHF 1,967

-50.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$14.9K CHF 11.9K

-73.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

$11.9K CHF 9,482

-45.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cham: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $1,674 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $149 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $645 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 171% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $5,164 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,674 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,568 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 158% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,443 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 171% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.