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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $997 in Chita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,564 in Chita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,131 in Chita.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 27% more expensive than in Chita, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Chita 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$11.77 ₽994

-1.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$36.90 ₽3,118

27.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.03 ₽510

97.01%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.35 ₽199

69.36%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.26 ₽107

13.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.63 ₽52.8

30.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.59 ₽134

100.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.94 ₽248

130.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.16 ₽98.3

44.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.69 ₽58.0

218.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.30 ₽110

31.54%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.47 ₽124

86.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.66 ₽985

-17.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.06 ₽428

78.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.54 ₽891

21.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.63 ₽138

77.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.78 ₽151

-15.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.87 ₽158

14.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.79 ₽236

-19.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.66 ₽56.0

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.54 ₽45.97

268.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.45 ₽122

-15.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.66 ₽55.8

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.97 ₽251

53.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.27 ₽699

25.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.14 ₽96.0

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.19 ₽185

31.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.47 ₽39.55

27.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.34 ₽198

130.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.32 ₽26.92

1065.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$5.98 ₽505

-3.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.87 ₽73.7

77.01%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$30.2K ₽2.6M

-25.41%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$36.4K ₽3.1M

-28.38%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$119 ₽10.1K

-23.22%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$5.94 ₽502

324.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$8.29 ₽701

276.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$38.02 ₽3,213

76.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$26.27 ₽2,220

10.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.71 ₽483

-14.89%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$322 ₽27.2K

-30.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$6,462 ₽546.0K

-34.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$64.3 ₽5,433

-26.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$52.6 ₽4,444

-15.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$103 ₽8,718

-22.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$109 ₽9,193

-14.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$460 ₽38.8K

131.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$318 ₽26.9K

22.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$825 ₽69.7K

160.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$578 ₽48.8K

120.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$2,220 ₽187.6K

80.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,471 ₽124.3K

341.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$420 ₽35.5K

80.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-42.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Chita: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $460 in Chita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 80% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Chita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $205 per month, with Chita 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 Chita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Chita differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $997 including rent). Chita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 80% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $460 in Chita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $997 in Chita – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $997 in Chita versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chita but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chita 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 Chita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.