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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $354 in Chittagong, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $611 in Chittagong, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $868 in Chittagong, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 255% more than Chittagong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Chittagong are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Chittagong 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$1.62 ৳200

640.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$14.86 ৳1,832

181.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.23 ৳891

48.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 ৳720

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 ৳515

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.68 ৳208

108.33%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.39 ৳47.50

271.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.17 ৳20.72

417.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.75 ৳91.9

90.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.57 ৳70.6

222.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.64 ৳79.3

145.31%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.18 ৳145

112.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.04 ৳1,114

-8.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$1.68 ৳207

401.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$7.44 ৳917

43.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.18 ৳269

19.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.95 ৳117

51.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.06 ৳254

-4.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.86 ৳106

143.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.44 ৳54.1

320.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.85 ৳104

155.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.37 ৳46.01

178.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.27 ৳33.54

296.30%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.45 ৳1,042

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ৳104

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ৳187

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.90 ৳357

41.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.14 ৳17.09

264.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$4.08 ৳504

538.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.86 ৳105

275.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.43 ৳52.4

460.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.50 ৳308

29.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.00 ৳124

32.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$33.2K ৳4.1M

-10.50%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$34.2K ৳4.2M

-30.73%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$23.04 ৳2,841

255.95%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$5.60 ৳691

309.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$12.98 ৳1,601

131.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$15.36 ৳1,894

238.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$11.32 ৳1,395

63.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$3.27 ৳403

52.29%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$29.29 ৳3,612

574.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,342 ৳165.5K

297.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$20.70 ৳2,552

71.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$18.72 ৳2,308

115.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$51.1 ৳6,295

54.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$33.32 ৳4,108

166.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$129 ৳15.9K

635.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$59.5 ৳7,341

696.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$250 ৳30.9K

556.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$149 ৳18.4K

710.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$794 ৳97.8K

411.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$473 ৳58.4K

1266.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$282 ৳34.8K

131.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.67

-2.14%

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 Chittagong: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $129 in Chittagong. 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 132% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Chittagong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $115 – making Chittagong 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 Chittagong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $354 in Chittagong – roughly 255% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $531 in Chittagong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $354 in Chittagong. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 538% less in Chittagong. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chittagong, where all-in costs run around $354, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Chittagong 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 $354 in Chittagong to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chittagong. 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.