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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $829 in Chapeco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,292 in Chapeco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,755 in Chapeco.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 52% more expensive than in Chapeco, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Chapeco 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$5.50 R$27.82

117.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$33.64 R$170

24.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$5.28 R$26.68

97.35%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$1.84 R$9.31

90.76%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$0.70 R$3.52

117.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.84

$0.75 R$3.78

21.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$1.42 R$7.17

114.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$2.19 R$11.06

99.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$0.92 R$4.66

54.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$1.06 R$5.39

72.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$1.28 R$6.50

27.34%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$1.64 R$8.30

54.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$8.18 R$41.36

4.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$7.17 R$36.28

18.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$7.31 R$36.95

47.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.94

$2.12 R$10.73

29.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.09 R$5.51

32.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.83

$1.19 R$6.01

58.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$1.45 R$7.35

49.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$0.93 R$4.73

91.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$1.05 R$5.34

111.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$0.75 R$3.78

42.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.62 R$3.13

74.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$2.37 R$11.97

75.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$9.67 R$48.89

8.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$1.26 R$6.38

38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.92

$2.04 R$10.32

26.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.84 R$4.24

-39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$451

$38.45 R$194

-32.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$1.06 R$5.35

202.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$0.72 R$3.64

247.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$6.57 R$33.23

-51.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.11 R$5.60

13.51%

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

$29.7K MX$516.6K

$21.7K R$109.7K

36.86%

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

$23.7K MX$412.1K

$26.4K R$133.7K

-10.42%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$60.6 R$307

35.32%

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

$22.73 MX$395

$8.15 R$41.24

178.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$17.89 R$90.5

64.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$23.55 R$119

121.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$32.52 R$165

-43.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$6.34 R$32.05

-22.24%

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

$202 MX$3,511

$266 R$1,343

-24.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$6,371 R$32.2K

-18.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$49.54 R$251

-27.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$41.75 R$211

-3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$75.4 R$381

5.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$65.4 R$331

36.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$283 R$1,433

234.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,097

$260 R$1,316

78.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$572 R$2,892

185.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$460 R$2,325

159.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.4K

$1,680 R$8,497

134.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$1,074 R$5,432

498.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$435 R$2,200

51.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Chapeco: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $283 in Chapeco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 51% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Chapeco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $188 per month, with Chapeco 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 Chapeco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chapeco wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chapeco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $283 in Chapeco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chapeco runs roughly 48% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $266 in Chapeco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $829 in Chapeco versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chapeco but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chapeco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chapeco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $829 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chapeco hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chapeco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.