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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $660 in Chilanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $978 in Chilanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,297 in Chilanga.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 97% more expensive than Chilanga, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Chilanga 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.16 ZMW 128

63.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$24.88 ZMW 444

67.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.64 ZMW 65.0

192.31%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.04 ZMW 36.35

72.55%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.72 ZMW 12.89

109.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.34 ZMW 6.02

185.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.88 ZMW 15.65

235.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.77 ZMW 31.58

151.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.32 ZMW 23.48

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.74 ZMW 13.14

155.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.57 ZMW 28.10

4.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.80 ZMW 32.10

39.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.87 ZMW 140

5.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.93 ZMW 70.1

112.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$4.72 ZMW 84.2

127.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.58 ZMW 46.06

0.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.66 ZMW 29.65

-12.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.80 ZMW 49.91

-32.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.11 ZMW 19.77

87.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.83 ZMW 32.65

-2.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.32 ZMW 23.63

65.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.87 ZMW 15.54

19.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.49 ZMW 8.68

120.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.50 ZMW 44.70

63.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$11.11 ZMW 198

-7.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.13 ZMW 20.18

51.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.58 ZMW 28.18

63.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.80 ZMW 49.93

16.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$9.34 ZMW 167

-65.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.22 ZMW 21.86

7.38%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$8,111 ZMW 144.8K

273.29%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$28.1K ZMW 501.8K

-16.65%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$90.4 ZMW 1,614

-8.37%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$52.8 ZMW 943

-57.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$127 ZMW 2,267

-76.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.19 ZMW 74.8

21.00%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$180 ZMW 3,212

11.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$9,418 ZMW 168.1K

-44.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$18.96 ZMW 338

94.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$16.97 ZMW 303

134.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$83.7 ZMW 1,494

-6.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$73.8 ZMW 1,318

17.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: June 1, 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 $179 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 97% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $660 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $990 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 $201 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 $660 in Chilanga versus $1,297 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 97% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.