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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,152 in Chitila, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,829 in Chitila, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,505 in Chitila, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 10% more than Chitila, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Chitila are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Chitila 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$13.63 RON 61.6

-12.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$69.2 RON 313

-37.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.08 RON 36.56

31.81%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.27 RON 14.80

5.50%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.91 RON 8.62

-21.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.31 RON 5.95

-27.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.31 RON 10.46

31.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.15 RON 14.25

46.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.77 RON 8.00

-22.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.25 RON 5.65

48.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.92 RON 8.68

-16.15%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.18 RON 14.39

-18.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.40 RON 42.54

-12.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.61 RON 29.90

26.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.80 RON 53.4

-9.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.40 RON 6.32

87.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.71 RON 7.74

-12.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.77 RON 7.99

8.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.43 RON 11.00

-13.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.01 RON 4.56

84.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.04 RON 4.70

117.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.93 RON 4.20

13.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.92 RON 4.16

18.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.30 RON 28.50

-34.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.70 RON 30.33

55.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.14 RON 5.16

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.78 RON 8.07

46.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.68 RON 3.07

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$20.03 RON 90.6

34.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.67 RON 3.03

367.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.66 RON 2.99

280.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$7.00 RON 31.65

-55.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.67 RON 7.55

-23.95%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$28.2K RON 127.5K

7.72%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.8K RON 125.7K

-15.22%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$182 RON 823

-54.39%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$8.85 RON 40.04

156.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$11.20 RON 50.7

163.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$41.40 RON 187

23.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$19.46 RON 88.0

-5.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.12 RON 36.73

-39.29%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$551 RON 2,494

-64.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,277 RON 37.4K

-36.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$80.5 RON 364

-54.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$64.3 RON 291

-37.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$90.2 RON 408

-11.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$93.1 RON 421

-3.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$381 RON 1,722

151.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$294 RON 1,329

62.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$578 RON 2,616

184.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$441 RON 1,994

177.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,952 RON 8,828

100.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,358 RON 6,143

375.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$873 RON 3,949

-23.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.78

68.44%

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 Chitila: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $381 in Chitila. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 31% higher in Chitila, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $69.0 in Chitila. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $226 in Chitila – so Chitila wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Chitila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $1,152 in Chitila – roughly 10% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,729 in Chitila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chitila, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $69.0 in Chitila. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,152 in Chitila. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chitila, where all-in costs run around $1,152, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Chitila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,152 in Chitila to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chitila. 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.