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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $708 in Datong versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in Datong versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,556 in Datong versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Datong costs roughly 44% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Datong 48% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ¥18.14

$11.60 MX$200

-76.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.85 ¥146

$47.11 MX$811

-53.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ¥32.66

$11.88 MX$205

-58.92%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ¥20.64

$3.98 MX$68.5

-22.36%

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

$0.44 ¥2.91

$1.43 MX$24.58

-69.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.82 MX$14.20

-64.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$3.19 MX$54.9

-70.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.37

$6.79 MX$117

-68.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.35

$1.68 MX$28.86

10.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$2.20 MX$37.84

-29.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$1.71 MX$29.42

-43.27%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.67

$2.74 MX$47.21

-41.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 ¥86.0

$9.58 MX$165

34.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.05

$9.01 MX$155

-65.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 ¥68.4

$12.81 MX$221

-20.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.47

$2.89 MX$49.75

-35.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.13

$1.50 MX$25.79

-18.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.95

$2.15 MX$37.00

-30.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.40

$2.26 MX$38.92

-50.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.71

$1.98 MX$34.11

-64.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.97

$1.99 MX$34.27

-55.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.01

$1.23 MX$21.26

-51.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.72

$1.20 MX$20.61

-53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 ¥21.30

$4.55 MX$78.4

-29.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 ¥69.3

$10.37 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.93

$1.62 MX$27.88

-54.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.03

$2.88 MX$49.61

-42.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.60 MX$10.34

-55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.76 ¥112

$28.80 MX$496

-41.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.03

$5.39 MX$92.8

-74.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$3.73 MX$64.2

-90.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.81 ¥45.56

$5.77 MX$99.4

18.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.58

$1.54 MX$26.46

-26.62%

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

$19.1K ¥127.5K

$22.5K MX$388.4K

-15.43%

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

$17.4K ¥116.5K

$26.1K MX$448.8K

-33.13%

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

$44.57 ¥298

$91.4 MX$1,574

-51.23%

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

$9.85 ¥65.9

$25.20 MX$434

-60.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.95 ¥79.9

$31.24 MX$538

-61.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.40 ¥277

$67.2 MX$1,158

-38.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.65 ¥91.3

$29.11 MX$501

-53.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.91 ¥39.51

$4.86 MX$83.8

21.60%

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

$328 ¥2,192

$224 MX$3,852

46.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ¥111.9K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

295.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.16 ¥289

$47.10 MX$811

-8.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 ¥205

$44.29 MX$763

-30.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 ¥489

$80.1 MX$1,380

-8.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ¥483

$92.7 MX$1,596

-22.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 ¥1,887

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-73.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ¥1,277

$390 MX$6,721

-51.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ¥3,997

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-72.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ¥2,376

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-72.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,973 ¥19.9K

$4,001 MX$68.9K

-25.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,998 ¥13.4K

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-69.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

11.45

-66.03%

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

Last update for Datong: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Datong and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Datong vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $276 per month, with Datong 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

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

Datong wins on cost – living expenses run 79% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Datong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,062 in Datong and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $282 in Datong versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $328 in Datong versus $224 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 39% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Datong versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Datong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Datong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $708 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Datong hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Datong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.