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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $652 in Chilanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $976 in Chilanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,301 in Chilanga.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 93% more expensive than in Chilanga, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Chilanga 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$7.14 ZMW 130

67.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$25.30 ZMW 460

65.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$3.69 ZMW 67.1

191.33%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.03 ZMW 37.01

72.41%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.73 ZMW 13.28

98.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.36 ZMW 6.60

144.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$0.92 ZMW 16.80

220.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.75 ZMW 31.94

157.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.28 ZMW 23.30

11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.75 ZMW 13.74

145.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.60 ZMW 29.09

-1.88%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.76 ZMW 32.11

42.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$7.64 ZMW 139

8.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.79 ZMW 68.9

122.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$4.64 ZMW 84.4

130.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.59 ZMW 47.14

0.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.60 ZMW 29.09

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.82 ZMW 51.3

-30.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.13 ZMW 20.55

84.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.84 ZMW 33.45

0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.32 ZMW 24.08

64.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.86 ZMW 15.66

19.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.52 ZMW 9.40

105.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.47 ZMW 44.87

65.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$10.74 ZMW 195

-5.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.13 ZMW 20.52

48.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.52 ZMW 27.70

66.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.69 ZMW 48.92

20.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$9.41 ZMW 171

-65.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.24 ZMW 22.52

6.45%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$8,084 ZMW 147.1K

267.33%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$28.3K ZMW 514.7K

-16.32%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$91.9 ZMW 1,672

-10.72%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$52.2 ZMW 950

-56.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$127 ZMW 2,311

-76.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.23 ZMW 77.0

17.73%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$180 ZMW 3,271

9.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$9,457 ZMW 172.1K

-43.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$18.57 ZMW 338

91.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$16.71 ZMW 304

141.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$83.6 ZMW 1,521

-5.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$71.9 ZMW 1,308

23.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-54.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Chilanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $177 per month, with Chilanga 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 Chilanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Chilanga differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $652 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $977 in Chilanga to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $180 in Chilanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chilanga – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $652 in Chilanga versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chilanga but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chilanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Chilanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.