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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,173 in Chiayi versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,961 in Chiayi versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Chiayi versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Chiayi costs roughly 9% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiayi 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.76 NT$213

$11.94 MX$208

-43.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.59 NT$1,282

$42.75 MX$744

-5.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 NT$177

$10.59 MX$184

-46.93%

Cappuccino

$2.17 NT$68.6

$3.62 MX$63.0

-40.06%

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

$1.13 NT$35.56

$1.47 MX$25.54

-23.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$24.84

$0.94 MX$16.41

-15.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 NT$59.4

$3.09 MX$53.8

-39.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NT$95.0

$4.46 MX$77.6

-32.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 NT$103

$1.43 MX$24.80

127.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NT$60.0

$1.88 MX$32.79

1.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 NT$100

$1.63 MX$28.34

95.09%

Eggs

$2.81 NT$88.8

$2.64 MX$45.99

6.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.24 NT$639

$8.21 MX$143

146.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 NT$312

$8.29 MX$144

19.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.08 NT$634

$11.10 MX$193

80.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 NT$165

$2.65 MX$46.14

96.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 NT$93.6

$1.50 MX$26.11

98.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.3

$1.99 MX$34.59

43.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 NT$136

$2.08 MX$36.13

106.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NT$89.3

$1.79 MX$31.11

58.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.7

$2.18 MX$37.87

1.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.2

$1.08 MX$18.73

82.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$42.12

$1.04 MX$18.04

27.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 NT$129

$3.97 MX$69.1

3.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 NT$153

$10.20 MX$178

-52.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$55.2

$1.73 MX$30.04

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NT$75.5

$2.50 MX$43.46

-4.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.88

$0.52 MX$9.02

57.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.66 NT$1,221

$26.97 MX$469

43.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 NT$93.0

$3.14 MX$54.7

-6.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 NT$13.10

$2.40 MX$41.80

-82.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 NT$319

$3.09 MX$53.7

226.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.50

$1.27 MX$22.16

-18.90%

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

$38.8K NT$1.2M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

25.78%

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

$28.1K NT$886.2K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

20.39%

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

$72.1 NT$2,275

$82.0 MX$1,427

-12.14%

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

$18.85 NT$595

$22.45 MX$391

-16.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.69 NT$780

$29.66 MX$516

-16.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.78 NT$1,193

$51.9 MX$903

-27.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.13 NT$478

$18.67 MX$325

-18.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.66 NT$368

$4.97 MX$86.5

134.61%

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

$645 NT$20.4K

$198 MX$3,442

226.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K NT$592.6K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

256.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 NT$1,884

$36.34 MX$632

64.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 NT$1,074

$40.05 MX$697

-15.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 NT$2,934

$79.9 MX$1,390

16.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NT$3,942

$88.9 MX$1,547

40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 NT$13.9K

$963 MX$16.8K

-54.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 NT$9,163

$465 MX$8,086

-37.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 NT$32.6K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-35.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 NT$22.5K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-41.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,483 NT$236.2K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

89.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,182 NT$163.6K

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-19.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,122 NT$67.0K

$720 MX$12.5K

194.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

11.42

-80.82%

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

Last update for Chiayi: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Chiayi and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 195% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Chiayi vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $251, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Chiayi pays 195% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $440 in Chiayi versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,173 per month in Chiayi versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,173 in Chiayi versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiayi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,173 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiayi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiayi and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.