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: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $828 in Chapeco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,304 in Chapeco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,780 in Chapeco.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 52% more expensive than 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

$11.67 MX$202

$5.55 R$27.59

110.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$34.75 R$173

20.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$5.36 R$26.66

94.03%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.78 R$8.83

102.81%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$0.69 R$3.45

113.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.69 R$3.45

31.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.43 R$7.09

111.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.18 R$10.82

105.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$0.93 R$4.61

48.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$1.05 R$5.21

75.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.23 R$6.11

30.89%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$1.63 R$8.11

57.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$8.00 R$39.76

6.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.31 R$36.34

16.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$7.41 R$36.85

48.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.07 R$10.27

31.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.06 R$5.28

41.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.20 R$5.96

63.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.44 R$7.18

47.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$0.93 R$4.64

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.09 R$5.44

99.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.70 R$3.46

52.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.66 R$3.29

59.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.37 R$11.78

76.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$9.96 R$49.48

3.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.21 R$6.00

38.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.02 R$10.04

23.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.78 R$3.89

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$38.60 R$192

-31.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.05 R$5.22

195.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.75 R$3.71

228.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$6.47 R$32.14

-49.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.08 R$5.34

16.67%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$21.3K R$105.7K

41.79%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$26.3K R$130.8K

-10.89%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$59.6 R$296

40.83%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$7.96 R$39.57

179.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$17.66 R$87.8

67.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$23.48 R$117

124.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$32.49 R$161

-43.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$6.48 R$32.22

-23.61%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$273 R$1,359

-27.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$6,540 R$32.5K

-18.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$49.57 R$246

-27.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$41.83 R$208

-4.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$74.8 R$372

5.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$65.2 R$324

32.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$283 R$1,405

245.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$255 R$1,268

84.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$559 R$2,779

185.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$459 R$2,282

164.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,705 R$8,476

136.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,094 R$5,439

501.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$445 R$2,213

60.41%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Chapeco: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $283 in Chapeco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 60% 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 in Playa del Carmen vs $35 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 60% more on average, 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: $977 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 47% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $273 in Chapeco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $828 in Chapeco versus $1,261 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 $828 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.