Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Beijing (Pekin) and in Playa del Carmen: $1,190 and $1,202 a month, rent and utilities included.

57

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,190

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beijing (Pekin) and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Beijing (Pekin) and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,190
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,889 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,889
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,588 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,588
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Beijing (Pekin) and Playa del Carmen have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 ¥30.28

$10.67 MX$199

-57.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.58 ¥197

$43.80 MX$815

-32.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 ¥34.83

$11.79 MX$219

-55.73%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.91

$3.79 MX$70.5

-1.58%

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

$0.53 ¥3.54

$1.30 MX$24.14

-59.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.83 MX$15.51

-65.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.81

$3.15 MX$58.6

-62.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.32

$4.93 MX$91.8

-65.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ¥11.30

$1.41 MX$26.22

19.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.31

$2.20 MX$40.86

-22.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.69

$1.47 MX$27.40

-11.56%

Eggs

$1.99 ¥13.27

$2.50 MX$46.47

-20.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.82 ¥98.8

$7.29 MX$136

103.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ¥21.94

$7.95 MX$148

-58.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 ¥72.9

$12.86 MX$239

-15.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.96

$2.90 MX$53.9

-27.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 ¥11.42

$1.38 MX$25.74

23.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.68

$2.49 MX$46.36

-17.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ¥10.40

$2.03 MX$37.78

-23.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.93

$2.02 MX$37.69

-63.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.58

$1.90 MX$35.42

-55.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$1.14 MX$21.30

-35.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$1.24 MX$23.06

-54.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ¥28.38

$4.27 MX$79.5

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.22 ¥94.9

$9.81 MX$183

44.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.51

$1.59 MX$29.51

-38.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ¥12.57

$2.75 MX$51.1

-31.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$0.51 MX$9.58

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.59 ¥197

$27.39 MX$510

8.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ¥12.91

$4.76 MX$88.6

-59.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.23

$3.25 MX$60.5

-89.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 ¥47.25

$5.39 MX$100

31.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.13

$1.53 MX$28.44

-10.46%

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

$19.8K ¥132.2K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

-6.60%

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

$17.9K ¥119.4K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

-23.07%

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

$59.7 ¥398

$83.5 MX$1,554

-28.51%

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

$8.90 ¥59.4

$23.19 MX$431

-61.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.41 ¥96.2

$27.61 MX$514

-47.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 ¥313

$56.4 MX$1,050

-16.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.86 ¥166

$28.19 MX$525

-11.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ¥50.1

$5.00 MX$93.1

50.00%

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

$968 ¥6,458

$207 MX$3,854

367.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.5K ¥297.2K

$5,231 MX$97.4K

751.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 ¥482

$43.45 MX$809

66.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.00 ¥267

$42.54 MX$792

-5.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 ¥596

$72.8 MX$1,354

22.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ¥832

$88.4 MX$1,645

41.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 ¥6,287

$995 MX$18.5K

-5.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 ¥3,502

$382 MX$7,116

37.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,250 ¥15.0K

$1,674 MX$31.2K

34.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 ¥7,081

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-1.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K ¥81.1K

$3,909 MX$72.7K

210.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,534 ¥43.6K

$6,138 MX$114.2K

6.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,688 ¥11.3K

$832 MX$15.5K

102.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

11.45

-72.75%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$525 44.1%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 27.1% $142

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$228 19.2%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 12.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.3%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 24.2% $36

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.2%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 83.2% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$83 7%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 61.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 7.4% $4.6

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$35 3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 42.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $942 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Beijing (Pekin) are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $257 – making Beijing (Pekin) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

09:03 9:03 AM

13 h behind Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.86 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Beijing (Pekin) Playa del Carmen 12,860 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Beijing (Pekin)
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Beijing (Pekin) vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,784 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $942 in Beijing (Pekin) and $995 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,190 in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,190 in Beijing (Pekin) to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.