Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mianyang, Sichuan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan: $646 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Mianyang, Sichuan
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Mianyang, Sichuan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Mianyang, Sichuan

🇨🇳 China

$646

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mianyang, Sichuan and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mianyang, Sichuan and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $646 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $646
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $998 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $998
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,350 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $1,350
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Mianyang, Sichuan is about 47% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mianyang, Sichuan and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Mianyang, Sichuan 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.51

$10.76 MX$198

-72.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.81 ¥119

$43.03 MX$794

-58.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥32.70

$11.79 MX$217

-58.52%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.86

$3.87 MX$71.3

-23.26%

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

$0.43 ¥2.89

$1.37 MX$25.24

-68.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.84 MX$15.41

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ¥9.74

$3.10 MX$57.2

-52.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.09

$5.07 MX$93.4

-55.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥10.13

$1.44 MX$26.49

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.33

$2.23 MX$41.15

-30.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$1.47 MX$27.12

-32.65%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.83

$2.53 MX$46.62

-35.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.56 ¥97.3

$7.30 MX$135

99.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ¥24.42

$7.86 MX$145

-53.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.95 ¥73.2

$12.79 MX$236

-14.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.93

$2.90 MX$53.5

-38.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.77

$1.44 MX$26.48

-9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.07

$2.55 MX$46.98

-58.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.66

$2.06 MX$37.95

-44.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$2.00 MX$36.90

-64.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.83

$2.01 MX$36.99

-64.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$1.19 MX$21.97

-51.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$1.26 MX$23.18

-53.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ¥24.76

$4.40 MX$81.2

-15.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.56 ¥30.46

$9.59 MX$177

-52.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.57

$1.59 MX$29.35

-47.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 ¥8.68

$2.81 MX$51.8

-53.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.57 MX$10.44

-49.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$513

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ¥7.14

$4.98 MX$91.9

-78.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.74

$3.50 MX$64.5

-92.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 ¥30.57

$5.40 MX$99.6

-15.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.47 MX$27.02

-14.97%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$21.0K MX$387.0K

-6.44%

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

$17.4K ¥116.3K

$23.9K MX$440.9K

-27.19%

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

$47.71 ¥319

$84.2 MX$1,553

-43.34%

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

$6.41 ¥42.80

$23.99 MX$442

-73.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.51 ¥83.6

$29.02 MX$535

-56.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.89 ¥120

$63.0 MX$1,162

-71.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$537

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 ¥38.89

$4.94 MX$91.2

17.81%

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

$366 ¥2,446

$204 MX$3,755

79.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥98.9K

$3,941 MX$72.7K

275.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.80 ¥166

$43.60 MX$804

-43.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.86 ¥186

$43.12 MX$795

-35.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.0 ¥388

$75.8 MX$1,397

-23.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.2 ¥356

$88.6 MX$1,634

-39.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 ¥1,508

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-77.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 ¥1,291

$374 MX$6,898

-48.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥2,747

$1,708 MX$31.5K

-75.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ¥2,226

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-69.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 ¥18.1K

$3,944 MX$72.7K

-31.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,816 ¥12.1K

$6,169 MX$113.8K

-70.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 ¥4,890

$754 MX$13.9K

-2.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

11.45

-72.93%

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

Last update for Mianyang, Sichuan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mianyang, Sichuan

$193 29.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 93.6% $181

Groceries & Markets

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 35% $67

Eating Out

Mianyang, Sichuan

$88 13.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 129% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Mianyang, Sichuan

$74 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 53.2% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mianyang, Sichuan

$67 10.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 106% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Mianyang, Sichuan

$30 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 147% $43

Getting Around

Mianyang, Sichuan

$3.5 * 0.5%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 1397% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $226 in Mianyang, Sichuan versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Mianyang, Sichuan versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $258 – making Mianyang, Sichuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Mianyang, Sichuan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

07:23 7:23 AM

13 h behind Mianyang, Sichuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,868,243

149,923

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 MXN = 5.42 USD

100 MXN = 4.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 18.44 MXN (100 MXN = 5.42 USD). 1 EUR = 20.68 MXN (100 MXN = 4.83 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mianyang, Sichuan Playa del Carmen 14,090 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mianyang, Sichuan
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Mianyang, Sichuan vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $646 in Mianyang, Sichuan, $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 87% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $970 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $646 in Mianyang, Sichuan and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 87%.

Kindergarten costs $366 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mianyang, Sichuan, where all-in costs run around $646, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Mianyang, Sichuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $646 in Mianyang, Sichuan to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Mianyang, Sichuan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.