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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $623 in Chilanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $989 in Chilanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,355 in Chilanga.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 108% more expensive than in Chilanga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Chilanga 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$5.68 ZMW 109

106.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$31.47 ZMW 601

48.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$5.41 ZMW 103

115.34%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$2.92 ZMW 55.7

40.07%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.79 ZMW 15.18

73.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.52 ZMW 9.87

59.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.34 ZMW 25.58

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.33 ZMW 44.58

196.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.75 ZMW 33.33

-1.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.27 ZMW 24.23

77.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$2.19 ZMW 41.81

-19.18%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$2.02 ZMW 38.53

35.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$10.60 ZMW 203

-13.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$6.33 ZMW 121

40.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$6.82 ZMW 130

84.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$3.95 ZMW 75.4

-23.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$2.55 ZMW 48.78

-38.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$3.95 ZMW 75.5

-46.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$1.63 ZMW 31.11

38.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$2.73 ZMW 52.1

-26.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$2.10 ZMW 40.03

-1.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.15 ZMW 21.94

2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.76 ZMW 14.60

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$3.12 ZMW 59.5

48.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$10.64 ZMW 203

0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.55 ZMW 29.63

4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$2.48 ZMW 47.40

16.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$2.61 ZMW 49.88

108.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.43 ZMW 27.34

158.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$5.37 ZMW 103

11.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.63 ZMW 31.04

-4.91%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$7,864 ZMW 150.2K

183.91%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$33.9K ZMW 647.2K

-23.42%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$84.1 ZMW 1,605

6.04%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$10.88 ZMW 208

130.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$57.5 ZMW 1,097

-45.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$6.28 ZMW 120

-19.59%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$142 ZMW 2,721

57.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$16.5K ZMW 315.3K

-74.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$25.60 ZMW 489

85.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$15.43 ZMW 295

191.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$45.59 ZMW 871

79.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$77.3 ZMW 1,476

19.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-60.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Chilanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $250 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 108% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $623 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,940 in Playa del Carmen and $934 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 $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $142 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 $31.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $623 in Chilanga versus $1,293 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 108% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.