Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chenzhou and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Chenzhou: $721 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Chenzhou
Learn more

Chenzhou Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Chenzhou

🇨🇳 China

$721

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $721 per month in Chenzhou vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Chenzhou $721
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,197 per month in Chenzhou vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Chenzhou $1,197
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,674 per month in Chenzhou vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Chenzhou $1,674
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Chenzhou is about 40% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chenzhou and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Chenzhou 47% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ¥20.18

$10.92 MX$204

-72.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.13 ¥148

$43.37 MX$810

-48.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 ¥32.38

$11.78 MX$220

-58.74%

Cappuccino

$1.54 ¥10.26

$3.81 MX$71.2

-59.58%

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

$0.51 ¥3.42

$1.28 MX$23.96

-60.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.78 MX$14.63

-65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ¥8.59

$3.17 MX$59.2

-59.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$4.93 MX$92.2

-61.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 ¥13.11

$1.41 MX$26.28

39.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 ¥15.85

$2.22 MX$41.43

7.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.24

$1.42 MX$26.48

-44.37%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.48

$2.52 MX$47.14

-31.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ¥87.6

$7.26 MX$136

81.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.13 ¥27.51

$7.70 MX$144

-46.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 ¥77.1

$12.69 MX$237

-8.83%

Apples (1kg)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$2.78 MX$52.0

-78.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.84

$1.37 MX$25.56

-13.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.88

$2.55 MX$47.66

-71.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$2.12 MX$39.67

-43.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$1.94 MX$36.22

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.26

$1.89 MX$35.24

-18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.05

$1.15 MX$21.42

-46.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ¥3.24

$1.18 MX$22.03

-58.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 ¥20.11

$4.30 MX$80.3

-29.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.71 ¥84.7

$9.95 MX$186

27.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ¥6.92

$1.58 MX$29.59

-34.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.47

$2.67 MX$49.91

-41.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.05

$0.55 MX$10.34

-43.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.40 ¥103

$26.62 MX$497

-42.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.11

$4.97 MX$92.9

-69.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$3.33 MX$62.2

-91.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 ¥30.64

$5.36 MX$100

-14.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.60

$1.44 MX$26.98

-10.42%

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

$19.3K ¥128.6K

$20.7K MX$386.2K

-6.67%

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

$17.4K ¥115.8K

$23.5K MX$438.5K

-25.95%

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

$56.3 ¥375

$84.8 MX$1,584

-33.58%

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

$8.94 ¥59.6

$23.41 MX$437

-61.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.27 ¥75.1

$28.66 MX$535

-60.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.59 ¥284

$57.1 MX$1,066

-25.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.67 ¥97.8

$28.91 MX$540

-49.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 ¥43.20

$5.14 MX$96.0

26.07%

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

$329 ¥2,192

$207 MX$3,860

59.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥112.5K

$3,927 MX$73.4K

329.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 ¥562

$43.35 MX$810

94.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.01 ¥233

$41.44 MX$774

-15.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 ¥594

$74.2 MX$1,386

20.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ¥392

$89.3 MX$1,668

-34.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 ¥2,064

$980 MX$18.3K

-68.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ¥1,087

$381 MX$7,116

-57.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 ¥3,892

$1,708 MX$31.9K

-65.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 ¥2,757

$1,075 MX$20.1K

-61.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,531 ¥23.5K

$3,943 MX$73.7K

-10.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ¥12.8K

$6,158 MX$115.1K

-68.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

11.45

-69.78%

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

Last update for Chenzhou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chenzhou

$215 29.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 18.4% $40

Accommodation & Living

Chenzhou

$163 22.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 133% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Chenzhou

$120 16.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 7.1% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chenzhou

$77 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 78.8% $60

Eating Out

Chenzhou

$71 9.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 187% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Chenzhou

$56 7.7%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 21.2% $12

Getting Around

Chenzhou

$20 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 157% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $310 in Chenzhou 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chenzhou versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $255 – making Chenzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chenzhou

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:58 7:58 PM

06:58 6:58 AM

13 h behind Chenzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,667,134

149,923

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chenzhou Playa del Carmen 14,420 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Chenzhou
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $721 in Chenzhou, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 67% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,081 per month in Chenzhou 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 Chenzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $310 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Chenzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $329 per month in Chenzhou and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Chenzhou, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Chenzhou 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 $721 in Chenzhou to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Chenzhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 67% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.