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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,122 in Champotón.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,814 in Champotón.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,505 in Champotón.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 16% more expensive than Champotón, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Champotón 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.79 MX$187

8.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$49.32 MX$855

-15.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.07 MX$140

31.85%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$3.70 MX$64.2

-4.86%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.16 MX$20.08

30.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$1.07 MX$18.49

-9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.80 MX$48.44

5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$4.04 MX$70.0

10.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.07 MX$18.57

28.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$2.13 MX$36.96

-11.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.54 MX$26.73

6.49%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.92 MX$33.29

30.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$10.10 MX$175

-17.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.96 MX$121

19.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.67 MX$116

60.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.82 MX$48.85

-7.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.42 MX$24.55

2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$2.13 MX$36.99

-10.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.80 MX$31.16

15.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$2.17 MX$37.63

-17.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.96 MX$34.03

11.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.08 MX$18.71

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.94 MX$16.23

14.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.17 MX$72.2

-2.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$10.08 MX$175

2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.37 MX$23.79

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.88 MX$49.91

-10.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.60 MX$10.45

-15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$2.35 MX$40.64

38.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.58 MX$27.43

57.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$6.50 MX$113

-50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.32 MX$22.85

-0.76%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$15.9K MX$275.9K

90.20%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$21.6K MX$374.0K

8.56%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$85.5 MX$1,482

-3.08%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$23.52 MX$408

-5.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$28.58 MX$495

2.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$35.64 MX$618

44.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$16.09 MX$279

13.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$4.67 MX$80.9

8.57%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$209 MX$3,618

-3.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$3,460 MX$60.0K

50.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$55.6 MX$963

-33.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$47.96 MX$831

-17.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$89.6 MX$1,553

-12.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$84.5 MX$1,464

3.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$516 MX$8,947

88.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$403 MX$6,980

16.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$919 MX$15.9K

78.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$755 MX$13.1K

61.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,949 MX$33.8K

102.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,150 MX$19.9K

465.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.68

-2.23%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Champotón: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $516 in Champotón. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $49.00 in Champotón. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $230, with Champotón cheaper for home cooking.

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

Champotón wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Champotón the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,684 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $516 in Champotón. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $209 in Champotón. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Champotón – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,122 in Champotón versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Champotón but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Champotón the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Champotón delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,122 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Champotón hard to pass up.

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.

Expats usually find Champotón gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.