Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chang-hua and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Chang-hua: $864 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Chang-hua
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Chang-hua Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Chang-hua

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$864

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $864 per month in Chang-hua vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Chang-hua $864
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,343 per month in Chang-hua vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Chang-hua $1,343
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,822 per month in Chang-hua vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Chang-hua $1,822
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Chang-hua is about 29% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chang-hua and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Chang-hua 36% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.83 NT$124

$10.76 MX$199

-64.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.76 NT$1,062

$43.03 MX$795

-23.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 NT$179

$11.79 MX$218

-53.10%

Cappuccino

$1.63 NT$52.7

$3.87 MX$71.4

-57.88%

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

$0.96 NT$30.99

$1.37 MX$25.29

-29.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 NT$18.01

$0.84 MX$15.44

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 NT$44.21

$3.10 MX$57.3

-56.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NT$70.3

$5.07 MX$93.6

-57.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 NT$77.1

$1.44 MX$26.55

65.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NT$67.2

$2.23 MX$41.23

-7.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 NT$95.5

$1.47 MX$27.17

100.00%

Eggs

$2.76 NT$89.5

$2.53 MX$46.71

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 NT$525

$7.30 MX$135

121.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 NT$308

$7.86 MX$145

20.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.23 NT$688

$12.79 MX$236

65.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 NT$156

$2.90 MX$53.6

66.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 NT$110

$1.44 MX$26.53

134.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 NT$95.1

$2.55 MX$47.07

14.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 NT$103

$2.06 MX$38.03

53.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 NT$89.8

$2.00 MX$36.97

38.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 NT$68.4

$2.01 MX$37.07

4.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 NT$54.9

$1.19 MX$22.02

42.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 NT$24.97

$1.26 MX$23.23

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$128

$4.40 MX$81.4

-10.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.43 NT$306

$9.59 MX$177

-1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 NT$44.70

$1.59 MX$29.41

-13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.4

$2.81 MX$51.9

-18.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 NT$50.4

$0.57 MX$10.47

171.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.80 NT$1,129

$27.82 MX$514

25.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 NT$85.9

$4.98 MX$92.1

-46.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 NT$24.71

$3.50 MX$64.6

-78.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 NT$301

$5.40 MX$99.8

72.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.39

$1.47 MX$27.08

-27.89%

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

$33.1K NT$1.1M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

57.91%

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

$24.3K NT$787.5K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

1.58%

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

$31.62 NT$1,025

$84.2 MX$1,556

-62.45%

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

$16.99 NT$551

$23.99 MX$443

-29.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.71 NT$607

$29.02 MX$536

-35.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.75 NT$1,029

$63.0 MX$1,164

-49.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$9.38 NT$304

$4.94 MX$91.3

89.88%

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

$636 NT$20.6K

$204 MX$3,763

212.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,946 NT$257.7K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

101.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.35 NT$1,600

$43.60 MX$806

13.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.47 NT$502

$43.12 MX$797

-64.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 NT$2,534

$75.8 MX$1,400

3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.57 NT$1,607

$88.6 MX$1,637

-44.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 NT$8,160

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-75.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 NT$5,528

$374 MX$6,911

-54.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 NT$16.5K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-70.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 NT$5,480

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-84.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,959 NT$96.0K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-24.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,631 NT$52.9K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-73.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,011 NT$65.2K

$754 MX$13.9K

166.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.2

11.45

-80.79%

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

Last update for Chang-hua: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chang-hua

$358 41.4%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 27.8% $100

Accommodation & Living

Chang-hua

$170 19.7%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 119% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Chang-hua

$87 10%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 30.4% $26

Eating Out

Chang-hua

$84 9.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 141% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chang-hua

$67 7.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 104% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Chang-hua

$51 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 44.3% $22

Getting Around

Chang-hua

$47 5.5%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 10.7% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $252 in Chang-hua versus $1,008 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 167% higher in Chang-hua, 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 $33.00 in Chang-hua versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $358 in Chang-hua vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Chang-hua

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

19:16 7:16 PM

13 h behind Chang-hua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

226,564

149,923

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chang-hua Playa del Carmen 14,210 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Chang-hua
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 40% more than Chang-hua, 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 $1,296 per month in Chang-hua and $1,816 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 Chang-hua, 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 $864 in Chang-hua and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 40%.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Chang-hua. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chang-hua, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Chang-hua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chang-hua costs $864 versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chang-hua. 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.