Cost of Living Comparison Between New Taipei City and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between New Taipei City and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,239 in New Taipei City versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,038 in New Taipei City versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,837 in New Taipei City versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in New Taipei City costs roughly 2% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: New Taipei City 9% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 NT$150

$11.60 MX$199

-59.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.51 NT$1,003

$47.11 MX$809

-33.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.23 NT$167

$11.88 MX$204

-55.98%

Cappuccino

$2.24 NT$71.3

$3.98 MX$68.2

-43.72%

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

$0.88 NT$28.06

$1.43 MX$24.49

-38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 NT$17.95

$0.82 MX$14.16

-31.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 NT$53.3

$3.19 MX$54.7

-47.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 NT$78.1

$6.79 MX$117

-63.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 NT$98.2

$1.68 MX$28.76

83.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 NT$57.8

$2.20 MX$37.71

-17.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 NT$70.0

$1.71 MX$29.32

28.65%

Eggs

$2.19 NT$69.6

$2.74 MX$47.05

-20.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.19 NT$802

$9.58 MX$164

162.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.60 NT$338

$9.01 MX$155

17.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 NT$603

$12.81 MX$220

47.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 NT$131

$2.89 MX$49.58

42.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 NT$77.8

$1.50 MX$25.70

62.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 NT$89.7

$2.15 MX$36.87

30.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 NT$127

$2.26 MX$38.79

76.55%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 NT$128

$1.98 MX$34.00

103.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 NT$66.1

$1.99 MX$34.15

4.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 NT$52.1

$1.23 MX$21.18

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NT$33.18

$1.20 MX$20.54

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 NT$142

$4.55 MX$78.1

-1.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 NT$283

$10.37 MX$178

-14.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 NT$47.31

$1.62 MX$27.79

-8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 NT$64.0

$2.88 MX$49.44

-30.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$26.20

$0.60 MX$10.30

36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.92 NT$1,208

$28.80 MX$494

31.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 NT$89.9

$5.39 MX$92.5

-47.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 NT$31.63

$3.73 MX$64.0

-73.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.69 NT$309

$5.77 MX$99.0

67.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.02

$1.54 MX$26.37

-34.42%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$22.5K MX$387.0K

50.47%

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

$24.4K NT$776.1K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

-6.48%

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

$112 NT$3,560

$91.4 MX$1,569

22.31%

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

$16.69 NT$532

$25.20 MX$433

-33.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.96 NT$731

$31.24 MX$536

-26.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 NT$1,251

$67.2 MX$1,154

-41.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.78 NT$248

$29.11 MX$500

-73.27%

Cinema Ticket

$12.64 NT$402

$4.86 MX$83.5

160.08%

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

$650 NT$20.7K

$224 MX$3,839

190.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K NT$676.5K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

402.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.16 NT$1,120

$47.10 MX$808

-25.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.25 NT$995

$44.29 MX$760

-29.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 NT$2,987

$80.1 MX$1,375

17.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 NT$3,164

$92.7 MX$1,591

7.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 NT$20.6K

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-39.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 NT$10.8K

$390 MX$6,698

-12.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 NT$44.5K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-35.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 NT$29.5K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-27.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K NT$394.5K

$4,001 MX$68.7K

209.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,248 NT$230.9K

$6,502 MX$111.6K

11.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,391 NT$44.3K

$758 MX$13.0K

83.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.81

11.45

-75.46%

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

Last update for New Taipei City: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $646 in New Taipei City and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Taipei City pays 83% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in New Taipei City vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $276, 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

New Taipei City vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Taipei City and Playa del Carmen differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,239 vs $1,266 including rent). New Taipei City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 83% higher in New Taipei City, 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: $646 in New Taipei City versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,239 per month in New Taipei City versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in New Taipei City runs roughly 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,239 in New Taipei City versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in New Taipei City but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes New Taipei City 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, New Taipei City 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 New Taipei City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.