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: $1,384 in New Taipei City versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,281 in New Taipei City versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,179 in New Taipei City versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in New Taipei City is roughly 8% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: New Taipei City is 3% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.16 NT$163

$11.94 MX$208

-56.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.11 NT$1,077

$42.75 MX$744

-20.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 NT$179

$10.59 MX$184

-46.46%

Cappuccino

$2.94 NT$92.7

$3.62 MX$63.0

-18.78%

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

$0.89 NT$28.00

$1.47 MX$25.54

-39.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.78

$0.94 MX$16.41

-17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 NT$64.6

$3.09 MX$53.8

-33.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 NT$86.4

$4.46 MX$77.6

-38.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.20 NT$101

$1.43 MX$24.80

123.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NT$59.8

$1.88 MX$32.79

0.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.1

$1.63 MX$28.34

84.66%

Eggs

$2.92 NT$92.2

$2.64 MX$45.99

10.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.31 NT$641

$8.21 MX$143

147.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 NT$277

$8.29 MX$144

5.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.32 NT$641

$11.10 MX$193

83.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 NT$148

$2.65 MX$46.14

76.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 NT$83.3

$1.50 MX$26.11

76.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NT$86.1

$1.99 MX$34.59

37.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 NT$133

$2.08 MX$36.13

102.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 NT$88.6

$1.79 MX$31.11

56.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NT$72.3

$2.18 MX$37.87

5.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NT$64.1

$1.08 MX$18.73

87.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$41.19

$1.04 MX$18.04

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 NT$128

$3.97 MX$69.1

1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 NT$296

$10.20 MX$178

-8.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$52.1

$1.73 MX$30.04

-4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 NT$73.7

$2.50 MX$43.46

-6.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.45

$0.52 MX$9.02

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.17 NT$1,300

$26.97 MX$469

52.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 NT$89.8

$3.14 MX$54.7

-9.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.48

$2.40 MX$41.80

-69.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 NT$322

$3.09 MX$53.7

230.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.81

$1.27 MX$22.16

-15.75%

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

$38.7K NT$1.2M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

25.21%

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

$28.0K NT$885.3K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

20.28%

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

$97.4 NT$3,076

$82.0 MX$1,427

18.81%

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

$24.77 NT$782

$22.45 MX$391

10.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 NT$765

$29.66 MX$516

-18.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.12 NT$1,235

$51.9 MX$903

-24.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 NT$514

$18.67 MX$325

-12.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 NT$368

$4.97 MX$86.5

134.41%

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

$633 NT$20.0K

$198 MX$3,442

220.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K NT$589.8K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

254.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 NT$2,472

$36.34 MX$632

115.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.44 NT$1,087

$40.05 MX$697

-14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 NT$2,998

$79.9 MX$1,390

18.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,889

$88.9 MX$1,547

38.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 NT$20.7K

$963 MX$16.8K

-31.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 NT$14.6K

$465 MX$8,086

-0.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 NT$54.6K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

8.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 NT$34.2K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-10.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K NT$399.6K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

221.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,233 NT$228.4K

$6,448 MX$112.2K

12.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 NT$43.1K

$720 MX$12.5K

89.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

11.42

-80.82%

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

Last update for New Taipei City: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $655 in New Taipei City and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Taipei City pays 90% 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: $34.00 in New Taipei City vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $380 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

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

New Taipei City and Playa del Carmen differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,384 vs $1,287 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

New Taipei City pays 90% 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: $655 in New Taipei City versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,384 per month in New Taipei City versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 53% less than in New Taipei City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,384 in New Taipei City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in New Taipei City. 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, 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in New Taipei City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.