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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,190 in Chita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,798 in Chita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,407 in Chita.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 6% more expensive than in Chita, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Chita 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$12.47 ₽993

-6.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$18.98 ₽1,511

120.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.03 ₽400

108.95%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.92 ₽153

86.98%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.55 ₽43.39

174.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.31 ₽24.85

196.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.23 ₽98.2

140.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.87 ₽149

135.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.43 ₽114

-2.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.53 ₽42.33

254.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.85 ₽148

-15.68%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.93 ₽154

35.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$15.29 ₽1,217

-45.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.27 ₽499

33.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$12.92 ₽1,028

-15.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.85 ₽227

-4.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.61 ₽208

-42.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.56 ₽203

-26.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.93 ₽154

13.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.71 ₽56.4

161.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.51 ₽40.96

337.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$3.79 ₽301

-71.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.72 ₽57.2

51.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.98 ₽237

40.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$0.78 ₽62.1

112.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.12 ₽89.3

133.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.50 ₽39.55

8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$25.41 ₽2,023

2.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.28 ₽181

35.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.58 ₽46.48

313.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$7.04 ₽560

-55.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.80 ₽63.7

63.75%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$31.9K ₽2.5M

-6.44%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$19.2K ₽1.5M

21.71%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$122 ₽9,717

-33.43%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$6.46 ₽514

249.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$10.20 ₽812

194.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$32.14 ₽2,558

64.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$14.65 ₽1,166

25.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.21 ₽494

-20.77%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$267 ₽21.2K

-24.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,990 ₽556.3K

-25.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$63.3 ₽5,036

-43.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$49.93 ₽3,974

-19.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$77.6 ₽6,179

2.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$87.1 ₽6,936

-0.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$627 ₽49.9K

56.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$440 ₽35.0K

6.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,147 ₽91.3K

44.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$840 ₽66.9K

43.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,517 ₽200.3K

57.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,939 ₽154.3K

240.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$654 ₽52.0K

3.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-42.90%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chita: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $627 in Chita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 4% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in Chita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $234 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 6% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $1,190 including rent). Chita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $627 in Chita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chita – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,190 in Chita versus $1,260 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 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.