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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,343 in Chihuahua, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,980 in Chihuahua, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,618 in Chihuahua, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 3% cheaper than Chihuahua, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Playa del Carmen and Chihuahua are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Chihuahua 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$11.75 MX$200

1.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$35.48 MX$603

33.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$11.95 MX$203

-1.67%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$2.51 MX$42.68

64.14%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$1.31 MX$22.18

6.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.82 MX$13.94

10.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$2.45 MX$41.68

31.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.30 MX$73.1

64.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$1.75 MX$29.66

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$3.43 MX$58.3

-37.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$2.26 MX$38.44

-21.68%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$2.74 MX$46.57

2.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.12 MX$172

-9.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$7.50 MX$127

23.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$13.74 MX$234

-8.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.61 MX$44.36

13.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.65 MX$28.04

-4.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$2.27 MX$38.60

-2.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$3.02 MX$51.4

-21.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$2.70 MX$45.89

-26.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$2.87 MX$48.83

-31.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$1.45 MX$24.68

-14.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$1.27 MX$21.53

-4.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$4.66 MX$79.2

-1.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$11.28 MX$192

-6.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$1.59 MX$27.08

6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$3.10 MX$52.7

-10.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$0.60 MX$10.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

$35.89 MX$610

-17.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$3.01 MX$51.2

74.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$0.87 MX$14.70

319.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$10.79 MX$183

-46.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.57 MX$26.75

-1.91%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$23.3K MX$396.3K

-2.24%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$26.4K MX$447.7K

-2.04%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$91.6 MX$1,556

-1.03%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$23.06 MX$392

9.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$25.52 MX$434

24.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$30.07 MX$511

128.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$5.42 MX$92.1

-10.33%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$287 MX$4,879

-21.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$3,573 MX$60.7K

17.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$54.1 MX$919

-12.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$26.71 MX$454

62.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$109 MX$1,860

-26.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$96.3 MX$1,636

-5.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$654 MX$11.1K

66.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$491 MX$8,345

-16.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,164 MX$19.8K

69.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$752 MX$12.8K

70.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$3,733 MX$63.4K

8.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$1,204 MX$20.5K

456.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$902 MX$15.3K

-14.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.84

5.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Chihuahua: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $654 in Chihuahua. 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 17% higher in Chihuahua, 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 $35.00 in Chihuahua. Groceries tell a different story – $278 in Playa del Carmen vs $300 in Chihuahua – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Chihuahua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chihuahua costs about 3% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,014 in Chihuahua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $287 in Chihuahua. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Chihuahua, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Chihuahua at $1,343. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chihuahua it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,305 versus $1,343 in Chihuahua. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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