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: $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,951 in Kaohsiung versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,714 in Kaohsiung versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 7% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 NT$128

$11.87 MX$204

-65.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 NT$1,082

$42.90 MX$736

-20.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 NT$174

$10.65 MX$183

-48.26%

Cappuccino

$3.09 NT$97.8

$3.45 MX$59.2

-10.43%

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

$0.97 NT$30.78

$1.50 MX$25.81

-35.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.50

$0.95 MX$16.28

-25.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$52.4

$3.03 MX$51.9

-45.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 NT$86.2

$4.61 MX$79.1

-40.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.50 NT$110

$1.38 MX$23.61

153.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.3

$1.85 MX$31.70

8.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.4

$1.61 MX$27.65

62.11%

Eggs

$3.33 NT$105

$2.59 MX$44.51

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.02 NT$506

$8.26 MX$142

93.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 NT$297

$8.37 MX$144

12.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.01 NT$569

$10.66 MX$183

68.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.17 NT$195

$2.63 MX$45.12

134.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$1.49 MX$25.53

71.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 NT$89.9

$1.92 MX$32.94

47.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 NT$126

$2.09 MX$35.81

90.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.1

$1.86 MX$31.88

61.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 NT$67.2

$2.26 MX$38.81

-5.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NT$58.6

$1.06 MX$18.23

74.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.52

$1.09 MX$18.67

9.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 NT$139

$4.15 MX$71.2

5.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 NT$490

$10.39 MX$178

49.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 NT$54.3

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$77.7

$2.61 MX$44.85

-5.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.79

$0.54 MX$9.30

51.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.56 NT$840

$26.94 MX$462

-1.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$92.9

$3.13 MX$53.7

-6.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.73

$2.51 MX$43.09

-68.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$198

$3.15 MX$54.1

99.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.71

$1.27 MX$21.88

-18.90%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

11.60%

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

$25.7K NT$811.1K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

8.87%

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

$102 NT$3,225

$83.0 MX$1,425

22.90%

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

$25.18 NT$796

$22.71 MX$390

10.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.61 NT$810

$29.46 MX$506

-13.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.43 NT$1,246

$51.0 MX$875

-22.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.15 NT$352

$18.33 MX$315

-39.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 NT$319

$4.93 MX$84.5

104.46%

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

$428 NT$13.5K

$197 MX$3,386

117.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$362.7K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

117.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,004

$36.90 MX$633

157.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.01 NT$1,138

$39.89 MX$685

-9.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NT$2,824

$80.0 MX$1,373

11.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,191

$89.5 MX$1,536

12.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 NT$14.0K

$956 MX$16.4K

-53.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$8,897

$477 MX$8,189

-41.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 NT$30.0K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-42.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 NT$21.6K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-44.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,584 NT$144.9K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

16.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,194 NT$101.0K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-50.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,503 NT$47.5K

$667 MX$11.4K

125.27%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Kaohsiung and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 125% 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 $385 vs $250, 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,188 vs $1,271 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaohsiung pays 125% 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: $443 in Kaohsiung versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Kaohsiung versus $197 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 54% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,271 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 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.