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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,899 in Kaohsiung versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,650 in Kaohsiung versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 11% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 14% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 NT$130

$11.94 MX$208

-65.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.83 NT$1,068

$42.75 MX$744

-20.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 NT$172

$10.59 MX$184

-48.73%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$94.5

$3.62 MX$63.0

-17.40%

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

$0.97 NT$30.72

$1.47 MX$25.54

-34.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.88

$0.94 MX$16.41

-23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 NT$53.0

$3.09 MX$53.8

-45.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 NT$88.0

$4.46 MX$77.6

-37.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.43 NT$108

$1.43 MX$24.80

139.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.1

$1.88 MX$32.79

6.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.4

$1.63 MX$28.34

60.12%

Eggs

$3.30 NT$104

$2.64 MX$45.99

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 NT$509

$8.21 MX$143

96.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 NT$298

$8.29 MX$144

13.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.56 NT$554

$11.10 MX$193

58.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 NT$196

$2.65 MX$46.14

133.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NT$81.7

$1.50 MX$26.11

72.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.2

$1.99 MX$34.59

43.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 NT$126

$2.08 MX$36.13

92.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 NT$91.9

$1.79 MX$31.11

62.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 NT$70.3

$2.18 MX$37.87

2.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NT$61.4

$1.08 MX$18.73

80.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.64

$1.04 MX$18.04

14.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 NT$143

$3.97 MX$69.1

14.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 NT$493

$10.20 MX$178

53.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.6

$1.73 MX$30.04

-3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$80.8

$2.50 MX$43.46

2.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.94

$0.52 MX$9.02

57.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.95 NT$851

$26.97 MX$469

-0.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.8

$3.14 MX$54.7

-7.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.09

$2.40 MX$41.80

-67.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 NT$193

$3.09 MX$53.7

98.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.46

$1.27 MX$22.16

-18.90%

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

$34.9K NT$1.1M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

12.97%

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

$25.6K NT$809.5K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

9.97%

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

$102 NT$3,231

$82.0 MX$1,427

24.78%

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

$25.62 NT$809

$22.45 MX$391

14.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.09 NT$792

$29.66 MX$516

-15.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.67 NT$1,252

$51.9 MX$903

-23.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 NT$351

$18.67 MX$325

-40.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 NT$315

$4.97 MX$86.5

100.80%

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

$431 NT$13.6K

$198 MX$3,442

118.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$361.7K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

117.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NT$3,075

$36.34 MX$632

168.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.83 NT$1,131

$40.05 MX$697

-10.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 NT$2,781

$79.9 MX$1,390

10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,268

$88.9 MX$1,547

16.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 NT$13.9K

$963 MX$16.8K

-54.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 NT$8,821

$465 MX$8,086

-39.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 NT$30.3K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-39.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 NT$21.7K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-43.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,630 NT$146.2K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

17.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 NT$102.5K

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-49.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,533 NT$48.4K

$720 MX$12.5K

112.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

11.42

-79.86%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Kaohsiung and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 113% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Kaohsiung vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 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

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

Kaohsiung and Playa del Carmen differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,148 vs $1,287 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaohsiung pays 113% 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: $442 in Kaohsiung versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 53% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.