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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $796 in Chiclayo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,338 in Chiclayo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,880 in Chiclayo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 59% more than Chiclayo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Chiclayo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Chiclayo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.35 PEN 17.96

116.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$36.27 PEN 122

29.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$9.02 PEN 30.26

31.71%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$4.43 PEN 14.85

-10.16%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.92 PEN 3.08

55.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.44 PEN 1.46

86.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$9.16 PEN 30.73

-65.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.01 PEN 6.74

-16.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.65 PEN 8.89

-16.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.66 PEN 8.92

-35.71%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.82 PEN 6.12

50.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.67 PEN 32.46

-0.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$9.70 PEN 32.54

-7.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.80 PEN 26.17

64.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.95 PEN 6.55

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.95 PEN 6.56

15.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.33 PEN 4.45

48.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.02 PEN 6.77

-1.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.87 PEN 2.93

41.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.93 PEN 3.11

29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.49 PEN 15.08

1.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$15.05 PEN 50.5

-31.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.46 PEN 4.88

10.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.21 PEN 4.05

138.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.53 PEN 1.76

13.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$29.84 PEN 100

-3.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$4.36 PEN 14.64

23.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$5.89 PEN 19.78

-2.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.35 PEN 4.55

14.07%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$25.2K PEN 84.7K

-10.62%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$25.0K PEN 83.7K

4.41%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$50.5 PEN 170

80.91%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$45.51 PEN 153

-44.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$23.43 PEN 78.6

33.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$45.29 PEN 152

48.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$35.50 PEN 119

-18.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.63 PEN 25.59

-36.30%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$351 PEN 1,179

-36.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$5,231 PEN 17.6K

-19.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$177 PEN 594

500.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$148 PEN 496

163.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$443 PEN 1,486

385.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$422 PEN 1,417

201.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,116 PEN 3,744

258.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,107 PEN 3,714

487.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$474 PEN 1,591

59.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.50%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Chiclayo: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $177 in Chiclayo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 60% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.00 in Chiclayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $249 – making Chiclayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chiclayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $796 in Chiclayo – roughly 59% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,195 in Chiclayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiclayo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $36.00 in Chiclayo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $796 in Chiclayo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiclayo, where all-in costs run around $796, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Chiclayo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $796 in Chiclayo to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chiclayo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.