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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $741 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,217 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,693 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 69% more than Chimaltenango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Chimaltenango are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Chimaltenango 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$5.35 Q 40.77

124.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$49.23 Q 375

-15.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$6.50 Q 49.57

65.38%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$3.27 Q 24.91

7.03%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.18 Q 8.96

22.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.97 Q 7.42

-9.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$3.29 Q 25.09

-10.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$4.54 Q 34.64

-0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$2.05 Q 15.66

-30.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$3.13 Q 23.90

-41.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$2.11 Q 16.07

-25.59%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.57 Q 19.56

-2.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$7.65 Q 58.3

8.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$8.62 Q 65.7

-2.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$11.71 Q 89.3

-8.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$3.50 Q 26.71

-25.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.53 Q 11.67

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$3.06 Q 23.30

-35.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.83 Q 13.97

14.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.78 Q 13.55

3.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$2.31 Q 17.65

-6.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.73 Q 5.60

41.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$1.18 Q 8.98

-9.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$3.74 Q 28.52

9.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.19 Q 62.5

24.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.61 Q 12.27

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.50 Q 19.03

1.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$5.35 Q 40.80

-39.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.61 Q 4.64

295.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$15.93 Q 121

-79.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.08 Q 8.20

22.22%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$19.5K Q 148.8K

52.17%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$24.7K Q 188.6K

-4.34%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$80.0 Q 610

2.55%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$26.77 Q 204

-14.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$49.01 Q 374

-38.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$7.04 Q 53.7

-29.26%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$245 Q 1,870

-19.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$5,694 Q 43.4K

-6.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$50.5 Q 385

-29.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$52.9 Q 403

-23.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$115 Q 875

-31.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$122 Q 926

-26.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.9

28.31%

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 Chimaltenango: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $49.00 in Chimaltenango. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $276 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chimaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 69% more than Chimaltenango, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,112 in Chimaltenango. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $49.00 in Chimaltenango. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chimaltenango, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Chimaltenango it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chimaltenango costs $741 versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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