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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $657 in Bengbu versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,050 in Bengbu versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,443 in Bengbu versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bengbu costs roughly 48% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bengbu 51% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ¥19.40

$11.61 MX$201

-75.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.65 ¥155

$42.75 MX$742

-47.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 ¥33.12

$10.60 MX$184

-54.25%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥21.26

$3.59 MX$62.3

-13.37%

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

$0.45 ¥3.05

$1.45 MX$25.21

-68.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ¥1.63

$0.90 MX$15.58

-73.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 ¥5.47

$3.03 MX$52.6

-73.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.70

$4.56 MX$79.2

-52.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ¥14.07

$1.45 MX$25.20

42.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ¥6.92

$1.83 MX$31.72

-44.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.54

$1.61 MX$27.92

-58.39%

Eggs

$1.49 ¥10.20

$2.54 MX$44.05

-41.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ¥63.6

$8.54 MX$148

9.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ¥19.36

$8.47 MX$147

-66.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 ¥62.7

$10.86 MX$189

-15.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.32

$2.73 MX$47.37

-50.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.88

$1.49 MX$25.91

-32.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.32

$1.94 MX$33.73

-29.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.85

$2.16 MX$37.57

-67.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.93

$1.85 MX$32.05

-68.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.98

$2.19 MX$38.00

-73.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ¥4.85

$1.07 MX$18.62

-33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥2.99

$1.08 MX$18.81

-59.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.26

$4.06 MX$70.5

-30.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ¥41.16

$10.46 MX$182

-42.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥4.87

$1.65 MX$28.71

-56.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ¥9.21

$2.55 MX$44.23

-47.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.56 MX$9.65

-48.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.96 ¥116

$26.20 MX$455

-35.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥10.17

$3.14 MX$54.5

-52.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$2.37 MX$41.17

-86.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.23 ¥56.2

$3.24 MX$56.2

154.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥8.05

$1.31 MX$22.81

-9.92%

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

$17.1K ¥117.0K

$30.5K MX$530.2K

-43.91%

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

$14.2K ¥97.0K

$23.8K MX$413.6K

-40.38%

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

$34.29 ¥234

$83.1 MX$1,443

-58.76%

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

$4.94 ¥33.73

$22.15 MX$385

-77.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.48 ¥57.9

$29.37 MX$510

-71.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.48 ¥290

$51.2 MX$889

-17.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.01 ¥95.7

$18.69 MX$324

-25.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ¥38.59

$4.89 MX$84.9

15.54%

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

$411 ¥2,807

$199 MX$3,449

106.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K ¥124.2K

$5,207 MX$90.4K

249.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.09 ¥294

$35.93 MX$624

19.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.50 ¥222

$39.39 MX$684

-17.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 ¥459

$80.3 MX$1,394

-16.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 ¥561

$87.6 MX$1,520

-6.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 ¥1,929

$963 MX$16.7K

-70.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ¥1,256

$482 MX$8,370

-61.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 ¥4,053

$1,645 MX$28.6K

-63.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ¥2,459

$1,192 MX$20.7K

-69.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,185 ¥21.8K

$3,957 MX$68.7K

-19.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,807 ¥12.3K

$6,513 MX$113.1K

-72.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$660 ¥4,508

$726 MX$12.6K

-9.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

11.42

-66.11%

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

Last update for Bengbu: April 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Bengbu and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 10% 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: $23 in Bengbu vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $253 per month, with Bengbu 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

Bengbu vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bengbu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 10% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $282 in Bengbu versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $411 in Bengbu versus $199 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $657 in Bengbu versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bengbu but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bengbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bengbu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bengbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.