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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,047 in Chillan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,504 in Chillan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,961 in Chillan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than Chillan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Chillan 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.52 CLP 4,961

115.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$27.29 CLP 24.5K

57.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.30 CLP 5,661

69.05%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.10 CLP 2,788

11.29%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.94 CLP 847

59.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.98 CLP 877

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.73 CLP 3,350

-18.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.19 CLP 3,767

10.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.14 CLP 1,027

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.78 CLP 1,601

3.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.85 CLP 1,666

-12.97%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.83 CLP 3,440

-32.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.66 CLP 6,884

7.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.79 CLP 6,101

23.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.93 CLP 9,822

-2.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.84 CLP 1,652

42.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.51 CLP 1,360

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.60 CLP 1,434

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.46 CLP 1,314

43.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.30 CLP 1,166

43.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.35 CLP 1,216

67.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.27 CLP 1,140

-16.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.22 CLP 1,092

-10.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.54 CLP 4,980

-25.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$3.48 CLP 3,123

198.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.61 CLP 1,445

6.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.22 CLP 1,997

17.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.63 CLP 564

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.47 CLP 426

565.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.37 CLP 1,229

-7.30%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$12.6K CLP 11.3M

141.17%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$15.4K CLP 13.9M

52.77%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$135 CLP 121.4K

-38.56%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$13.40 CLP 12.0K

69.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$24.46 CLP 22.0K

20.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$16.19 CLP 14.5K

215.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$21.58 CLP 19.4K

-15.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$11.75 CLP 10.6K

-58.04%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$439 CLP 394.1K

-55.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$51.0 CLP 45.8K

-27.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$30.24 CLP 27.2K

31.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$52.0 CLP 46.7K

53.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$68.3 CLP 61.4K

31.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$487 CLP 437.9K

96.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$373 CLP 335.4K

27.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$463 CLP 416.5K

255.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$597 CLP 536.6K

105.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,621 CLP 2.4M

146.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$696 CLP 625.2K

-4.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.18

120.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chillan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $487 in Chillan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chillan pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Chillan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $219 per month, with Chillan 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 Chillan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Chillan differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,047 including rent). Chillan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Chillan earns 4% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $487 in Chillan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,047 in Chillan – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,047 in Chillan versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chillan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chillan 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 Chillan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.