Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benxi and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Benxi: $692 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Benxi
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Benxi Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Benxi

🇨🇳 China

$692

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benxi 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 Benxi and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $692 per month in Benxi vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Benxi $692
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $991 per month in Benxi vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Benxi $991
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,291 per month in Benxi vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Benxi $1,291
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Benxi is about 43% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Benxi and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Benxi 49% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ¥20.19

$10.92 MX$205

-72.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.33 ¥148

$43.37 MX$815

-48.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ¥35.25

$11.78 MX$221

-54.92%

Cappuccino

$2.40 ¥15.98

$3.81 MX$71.6

-37.01%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$1.28 MX$24.10

-60.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.89

$0.78 MX$14.71

-62.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 ¥4.84

$3.17 MX$59.5

-76.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥11.69

$4.93 MX$92.7

-64.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.28

$1.41 MX$26.43

31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ¥8.08

$2.22 MX$41.66

-45.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.60

$1.42 MX$26.64

-40.85%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.65

$2.52 MX$47.41

-36.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 ¥66.4

$7.26 MX$137

37.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.85 ¥18.92

$7.70 MX$145

-62.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 ¥59.3

$12.69 MX$239

-29.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.74

$2.78 MX$52.3

-41.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.17

$1.37 MX$25.71

0.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.76

$2.55 MX$47.94

-36.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ¥9.12

$2.12 MX$39.90

-35.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$1.94 MX$36.43

-70.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ¥12.26

$1.89 MX$35.44

-2.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$1.15 MX$21.55

-46.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.57

$1.18 MX$22.16

-41.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ¥19.75

$4.30 MX$80.7

-30.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 ¥54.7

$9.95 MX$187

-17.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.85

$1.58 MX$29.76

-63.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 ¥8.30

$2.67 MX$50.2

-53.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.55 MX$10.40

-43.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.21 ¥81.1

$26.62 MX$500

-54.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 ¥5.84

$4.97 MX$93.4

-82.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$3.33 MX$62.6

-91.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 ¥19.82

$5.36 MX$101

-44.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.53

$1.44 MX$27.14

-21.53%

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

$19.8K ¥131.7K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

-4.12%

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

$18.0K ¥119.4K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

-23.42%

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

$54.4 ¥361

$84.8 MX$1,594

-35.89%

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

$6.70 ¥44.51

$23.41 MX$440

-71.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.41 ¥69.2

$28.66 MX$539

-63.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 ¥441

$57.1 MX$1,072

16.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 ¥55.2

$28.91 MX$543

-71.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ¥40.08

$5.14 MX$96.6

17.32%

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

$449 ¥2,985

$207 MX$3,882

117.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,894 ¥59.1K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

126.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.74 ¥198

$43.35 MX$815

-31.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.77 ¥218

$41.44 MX$779

-20.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 ¥400

$74.2 MX$1,394

-18.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 ¥348

$89.3 MX$1,677

-41.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$137 ¥907

$980 MX$18.4K

-86.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 ¥1,259

$381 MX$7,157

-50.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$258 ¥1,711

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-84.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 ¥1,015

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-85.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,371 ¥22.4K

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-14.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,941 ¥12.9K

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-68.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$447 ¥2,971

$735 MX$13.8K

-39.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-65.07%

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

Last update for Benxi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Benxi

$189 27.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 101% $191

Groceries & Markets

Benxi

$179 25.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 42.2% $76

Eating Out

Benxi

$79 11.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 155% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Benxi

$79 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 41.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Benxi

$78 11.3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 14.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benxi

$71 10.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 91.5% $65

Getting Around

Benxi

$16 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 220% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $137 in Benxi versus $980 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 run about 64% 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 $22 in Benxi versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $255 – making Benxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Benxi

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

03:50 3:50 AM

13 h behind Benxi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

809,655

149,923

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Benxi Playa del Carmen 12,430 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Benxi
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 74% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,039 per month in Benxi and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benxi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Benxi and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Benxi, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Benxi 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 $692 in Benxi to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Benxi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.