Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Champotón

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Champotón: $1,210 and $1,258 a month, rent and utilities included.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Champotón
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,258
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Champotón

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Champotón actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,258 in Champotón.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Champotón $1,258

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,918 in Champotón.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Champotón $1,918

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,578 in Champotón.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Champotón $2,578

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 4% less than in Champotón, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Champotón 7% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Champotón
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$199
$13.80 MX$255
-22.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$795
$54.5 MX$1,007
-21.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$218
$8.05 MX$149
46.46%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.4
$3.83 MX$70.8
1.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.29
$1.12 MX$20.75
22.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.44
$1.16 MX$21.45
-27.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.3
$2.94 MX$54.3
5.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.6
$3.88 MX$71.6
30.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Champotón
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.55
$1.08 MX$20.01
33.33%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.23
$2.21 MX$40.87
0.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.72 MX$31.73
-14.53%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.71
$1.96 MX$36.18
29.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
$10.14 MX$187
-28.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$145
$7.78 MX$144
1.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$236
$6.45 MX$119
98.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.6
$2.84 MX$52.5
2.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.53
$1.38 MX$25.54
4.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.07
$2.14 MX$39.52
19.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.03
$2.04 MX$37.75
0.98%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.97
$2.23 MX$41.14
-10.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.07
$1.84 MX$34.07
9.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$22.02
$1.49 MX$27.45
-20.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.23
$1.13 MX$20.83
11.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.4
$4.51 MX$83.3
-2.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$177
$9.83 MX$182
-2.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.41
$1.45 MX$26.81
9.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$2.56 MX$47.32
9.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Champotón
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.47
$0.57 MX$10.50
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$514
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$92.1
$2.72 MX$50.3
83.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.6
$3.95 MX$72.9
-11.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$99.8
$8.68 MX$160
-37.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.08
$1.57 MX$29.03
-6.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.8K
$21.4K MX$395.8K
-2.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.8K
$23.7K MX$437.6K
0.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Champotón
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,556
$116 MX$2,143
-27.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$443
$21.89 MX$405
9.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$536
$34.64 MX$640
-16.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Champotón
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,164
$33.26 MX$615
89.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$539
$21.06 MX$389
38.37%
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.3
$7.30 MX$135
-32.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Champotón
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,763
$262 MX$4,842
-22.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$72.8K
$3,655 MX$67.5K
7.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Champotón
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$806
$55.2 MX$1,019
-20.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$797
$52.9 MX$977
-18.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,400
$100 MX$1,856
-24.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,637
$86.2 MX$1,593
2.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Champotón
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.6K
$537 MX$9,922
87.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,911
$429 MX$7,919
-12.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.6K
$924 MX$17.1K
84.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.4K
$672 MX$12.4K
64.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$72.9K
$2,014 MX$37.2K
95.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$114.0K
$1,137 MX$21.0K
442.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Champotón
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$13.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
11.64
-1.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Champotón: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Champotón
$429 14.6% $55
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Champotón
$239 7.4% $19
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Champotón
$212 4.9% $9.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Champotón
$172 25.7% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Champotón
$133 17.3% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Champotón
$48 34.3% $25
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Champotón
$25 * 52.9% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $537 in Champotón. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $54.0 in Champotón. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $239, with Champotón cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Champotón
🕒 Local time
22:41 10:41 PM
21:41 9:41 PM
1 h behind Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
35,799
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Champotón 410 km
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Champotón

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Champotón: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Champotón?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Champotón. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Champotón?
You'd need roughly $1,816 in Playa del Carmen and $1,887 in Champotón 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Playa del Carmen compared to Champotón?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $537 in Champotón. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Champotón?
Childcare runs $204 in Playa del Carmen versus $262 in Champotón. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Champotón?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $54.0 in Champotón. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or in Champotón?
At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,258 in Champotón, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Champotón. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Playa del Carmen or Champotón?
Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.
How safe is Playa del Carmen compared to Champotón?
Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Champotón are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Champotón. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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