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: $1,091 in Kaohsiung versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,818 in Kaohsiung versus $2,336 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,546 in Kaohsiung versus $3,341 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 18% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 20% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 NT$171

$13.02 MX$221

-58.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.11 NT$990

$46.25 MX$784

-32.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 NT$153

$12.59 MX$213

-61.72%

Cappuccino

$2.76 NT$87.8

$4.00 MX$67.9

-31.00%

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

$1.11 NT$35.39

$1.42 MX$24.08

-21.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$21.14

$0.81 MX$13.73

-18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 NT$48.00

$3.05 MX$51.7

-50.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NT$78.6

$6.82 MX$116

-63.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.20 NT$102

$1.71 MX$29.04

87.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 NT$70.5

$2.22 MX$37.62

-0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NT$91.4

$1.72 MX$29.13

66.86%

Eggs

$2.52 NT$80.1

$2.71 MX$45.99

-7.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 NT$477

$9.37 MX$159

59.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 NT$253

$8.86 MX$150

-10.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 NT$486

$12.78 MX$217

19.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.39 NT$204

$3.13 MX$53.0

104.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 NT$86.9

$1.55 MX$26.24

76.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 NT$80.4

$2.15 MX$36.51

17.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 NT$102

$2.35 MX$39.89

36.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 NT$85.2

$2.02 MX$34.23

32.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 NT$62.2

$1.99 MX$33.67

-2.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NT$74.1

$1.24 MX$21.09

87.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 NT$32.78

$1.19 MX$20.21

-13.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$129

$4.65 MX$78.8

-12.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 NT$486

$10.47 MX$177

45.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 NT$50.0

$1.58 MX$26.82

-0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 NT$69.8

$2.92 MX$49.48

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 NT$23.09

$0.56 MX$9.53

30.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.16 NT$387

$29.76 MX$504

-59.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 NT$85.2

$5.32 MX$90.2

-49.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 NT$25.94

$3.72 MX$63.0

-78.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 NT$176

$5.78 MX$97.9

-4.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$31.78

$1.55 MX$26.27

-35.48%

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

$32.6K NT$1.0M

$22.4K MX$379.1K

45.71%

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

$22.7K NT$724.3K

$25.6K MX$433.3K

-11.04%

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

$83.3 NT$2,650

$89.3 MX$1,513

-6.75%

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

$17.36 NT$553

$23.30 MX$395

-25.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.17 NT$833

$31.72 MX$538

-17.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.15 NT$1,246

$68.8 MX$1,165

-43.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.24 NT$326

$29.40 MX$498

-65.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 NT$352

$5.06 MX$85.7

118.18%

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

$461 NT$14.7K

$222 MX$3,765

107.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NT$446.6K

$4,293 MX$72.7K

226.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 NT$2,905

$46.21 MX$783

97.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.54 NT$1,068

$44.43 MX$753

-24.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 NT$2,704

$95.5 MX$1,618

-11.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 NT$3,155

$92.5 MX$1,568

7.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 NT$12.0K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-64.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 NT$8,666

$393 MX$6,663

-30.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 NT$30.5K

$1,988 MX$33.7K

-51.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 NT$21.2K

$1,304 MX$22.1K

-48.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,541 NT$144.6K

$4,037 MX$68.4K

12.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 NT$98.2K

$6,627 MX$112.3K

-53.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,419 NT$45.2K

$747 MX$12.7K

89.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

11.6

-77.93%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: August 17, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $376 in Kaohsiung and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Kaohsiung vs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $357 vs $277, 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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,091 vs $1,330 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 90% higher in Kaohsiung, 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: $376 in Kaohsiung versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $461 in Kaohsiung versus $222 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 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,091 in Kaohsiung versus $1,330 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 22% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.