Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Chieti

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,735 in Chieti, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Chieti, Italy
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Chieti
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,735
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Chieti actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,735 in Chieti, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Chieti $1,735

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,666 in Chieti, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Chieti $2,666

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,597 in Chieti, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Chieti $3,597

Playa del Carmen is about 31% cheaper than Chieti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Chieti is 28% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Chieti
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$200
$22.21 €19.78
-51.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$823
$87.6 €78.0
-50.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$221
$10.23 €9.11
15.25%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$71.1
$1.53 €1.36
147.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.36
$2.95 €2.63
-55.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.65
$1.13 €1.01
-26.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$59.1
$5.01 €4.46
-37.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$5.17 €4.61
-4.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Chieti
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.46
$1.58 €1.41
-10.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$41.23
$2.27 €2.02
-3.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.66
$2.85 €2.53
-48.42%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.89
$4.04 €3.59
-38.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$137
$16.39 €14.59
-55.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$149
$12.35 €10.99
-35.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$242
$20.07 €17.87
-35.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$54.4
$2.57 €2.29
12.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.98
$2.17 €1.93
-36.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.78
$2.62 €2.34
-4.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.12
$3.13 €2.79
-35.14%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$38.03
$1.95 €1.74
3.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.74
$1.81 €1.61
4.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.49
$1.45 €1.29
-21.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.27
$0.52 €0.46
138.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$80.2
$6.73 €6.00
-36.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$184
$6.88 €6.13
42.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.78
$1.71 €1.53
-7.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.6
$2.18 €1.94
26.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Chieti
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.67
$1.67 €1.48
-69.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$514
$41.52 €36.97
-34.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$89.4
$5.62 €5.00
-15.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$61.0
$1.70 €1.51
91.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$101
$30.67 €27.30
-82.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.70
$2.08 €1.85
-26.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$398.4K
$35.9K €31.9K
-40.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$436.9K
$36.6K €32.6K
-36.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Chieti
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,568
$205 €183
-59.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$435
$10.17 €9.06
128.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$519
$29.96 €26.68
-7.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Chieti
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,060
$54.6 €48.61
3.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$529
$23.45 €20.88
20.21%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.9
$9.98 €8.89
-49.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Chieti
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,889
$553 €492
-62.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$98.2K
$10.2K €9,074
-48.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Chieti
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$816
$88.4 €78.7
-50.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$799
$36.60 €32.59
16.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,367
$97.0 €86.3
-24.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,660
$130 €116
-32.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Chieti
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.7K
$727 €648
36.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,181
$579 €515
-33.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.4K
$1,142 €1,016
46.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.3K
$877 €781
23.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$73.4K
$2,969 €2,644
31.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$115.3K
$2,025 €1,803
203.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Chieti
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.6K
$1,213 €1,080
-31.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.32
244.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chieti: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Chieti
$579 51.3% $196
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Chieti
$337 31.1% $80
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Chieti
$279 39.1% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Chieti
$245 82.7% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Chieti
$158 42.4% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Chieti
$75 12.2% $8.1
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Chieti
$62 23.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $727 in Chieti. 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 46% higher in Chieti. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $88 in Chieti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $337 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇮🇹 Chieti
🕒 Local time
07:04 7:04 AM
13:04 1:04 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
51,815
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Chieti 9,350 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Chieti

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 Chieti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Chieti?
Yes – Chieti is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,603 in Chieti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chieti, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $727 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Chieti?
Groceries cost about 31% more in Chieti, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Chieti?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen and $88 in Chieti. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Chieti?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Chieti at $1,735. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chieti it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Chieti?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,735 in Chieti. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chieti makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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