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: $1,269 in Keelung versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,047 in Keelung versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,824 in Keelung versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.18 NT$167

$11.72 MX$203

-55.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.17 NT$974

$41.89 MX$725

-27.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 NT$172

$10.51 MX$182

-49.29%

Cappuccino

$2.97 NT$95.8

$3.59 MX$62.0

-17.27%

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

$1.11 NT$35.98

$1.51 MX$26.10

-26.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$25.64

$0.92 MX$15.83

-14.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 NT$70.4

$2.96 MX$51.2

-26.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 NT$95.0

$4.41 MX$76.3

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.45 NT$111

$1.40 MX$24.16

146.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 NT$50.4

$1.88 MX$32.60

-17.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 NT$38.56

$1.56 MX$26.97

-23.72%

Eggs

$2.38 NT$77.0

$2.61 MX$45.14

-8.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.14 NT$1,006

$8.32 MX$144

274.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 NT$191

$8.35 MX$145

-28.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.58 NT$503

$10.86 MX$188

43.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 NT$148

$2.71 MX$46.93

69.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 NT$58.4

$1.51 MX$26.04

19.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 NT$71.6

$1.87 MX$32.41

18.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 NT$99.1

$2.19 MX$37.89

40.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 NT$43.10

$1.86 MX$32.14

-28.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 NT$61.5

$2.23 MX$38.59

-14.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 NT$73.5

$1.07 MX$18.48

113.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NT$41.42

$1.09 MX$18.79

17.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 NT$128

$4.19 MX$72.4

-5.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.05 NT$292

$10.43 MX$180

-13.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 NT$39.13

$1.66 MX$28.68

-27.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$86.0

$2.61 MX$45.19

1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 NT$17.06

$0.54 MX$9.37

-1.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.6 NT$2,150

$26.16 MX$453

154.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 NT$90.9

$3.08 MX$53.3

-8.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 NT$38.39

$2.40 MX$41.61

-50.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.30 NT$333

$3.13 MX$54.1

229.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$32.37

$1.31 MX$22.69

-23.66%

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

$33.6K NT$1.1M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

12.76%

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

$25.4K NT$820.5K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

8.94%

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

$43.58 NT$1,407

$81.3 MX$1,406

-46.38%

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

$24.59 NT$794

$22.56 MX$390

9.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.73 NT$379

$30.05 MX$520

-60.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.84 NT$1,222

$52.9 MX$915

-28.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.48 NT$1,113

$18.39 MX$318

87.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.33 NT$269

$4.92 MX$85.1

69.31%

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

$354 NT$11.4K

$201 MX$3,474

76.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K NT$658.5K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

294.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 NT$2,770

$35.92 MX$622

138.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.98 NT$1,130

$40.13 MX$694

-12.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 NT$1,661

$79.7 MX$1,379

-35.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.24 NT$1,073

$86.5 MX$1,496

-61.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 NT$19.6K

$978 MX$16.9K

-37.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 NT$16.3K

$470 MX$8,140

7.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 NT$36.2K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-32.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 NT$33.3K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-14.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,290 NT$106.2K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-16.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,312 NT$74.7K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-65.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,450 NT$79.1K

$677 MX$11.7K

262.05%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Keelung and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 262% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $252, 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 ($1,269 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 262% higher in Keelung, 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: $607 in Keelung versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% 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 $42.00 versus $30.00 in Keelung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,269 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.