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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Keelung versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,068 in Keelung versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,843 in Keelung versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Keelung is roughly 1% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Keelung 3% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.01 NT$158

$11.94 MX$208

-58.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.90 NT$944

$42.75 MX$744

-30.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$175

$10.59 MX$184

-47.69%

Cappuccino

$2.93 NT$92.6

$3.62 MX$63.0

-19.06%

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

$1.15 NT$36.16

$1.47 MX$25.54

-21.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.74

$0.94 MX$16.41

-17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 NT$68.3

$3.09 MX$53.8

-30.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 NT$89.8

$4.46 MX$77.6

-36.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.34 NT$106

$1.43 MX$24.80

133.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 NT$47.55

$1.88 MX$32.79

-19.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 NT$37.31

$1.63 MX$28.34

-27.61%

Eggs

$2.42 NT$76.5

$2.64 MX$45.99

-8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.90 NT$1,007

$8.21 MX$143

288.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 NT$191

$8.29 MX$144

-27.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.02 NT$506

$11.10 MX$193

44.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 NT$144

$2.65 MX$46.14

72.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 NT$57.2

$1.50 MX$26.11

20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 NT$72.2

$1.99 MX$34.59

15.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 NT$96.8

$2.08 MX$36.13

47.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 NT$42.21

$1.79 MX$31.11

-25.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 NT$58.8

$2.18 MX$37.87

-14.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 NT$73.2

$1.08 MX$18.73

114.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 NT$39.44

$1.04 MX$18.04

20.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$125

$3.97 MX$69.1

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 NT$308

$10.20 MX$178

-4.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NT$37.14

$1.73 MX$30.04

-31.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 NT$82.9

$2.50 MX$43.46

5.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 NT$16.50

$0.52 MX$9.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 NT$2,105

$26.97 MX$469

147.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 NT$88.5

$3.14 MX$54.7

-10.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 NT$37.20

$2.40 MX$41.80

-50.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 NT$326

$3.09 MX$53.7

234.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$31.90

$1.27 MX$22.16

-20.47%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

9.57%

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

$26.3K NT$829.4K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

12.67%

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

$43.89 NT$1,386

$82.0 MX$1,427

-46.48%

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

$24.95 NT$788

$22.45 MX$391

11.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.06 NT$381

$29.66 MX$516

-59.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.38 NT$1,180

$51.9 MX$903

-27.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.82 NT$1,068

$18.67 MX$325

81.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.45 NT$267

$4.97 MX$86.5

70.02%

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

$357 NT$11.3K

$198 MX$3,442

80.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K NT$666.2K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

300.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.0 NT$2,653

$36.34 MX$632

131.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.88 NT$1,101

$40.05 MX$697

-12.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.5 NT$1,625

$79.9 MX$1,390

-35.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.41 NT$1,055

$88.9 MX$1,547

-62.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 NT$19.5K

$963 MX$16.8K

-35.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 NT$16.0K

$465 MX$8,086

8.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 NT$35.9K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-28.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 NT$31.5K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-17.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,451 NT$108.9K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-12.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,362 NT$74.6K

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-63.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,442 NT$77.1K

$720 MX$12.5K

239.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

11.42

-80.91%

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

Last update for Keelung: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $617 in Keelung and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 239% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Keelung vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 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

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

Keelung and Playa del Carmen differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $1,287 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Keelung pays 239% 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: $617 in Keelung versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Keelung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $30.00 in Keelung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,294 in Keelung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Keelung. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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, Keelung 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.