Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pingtung city and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Pingtung city: $890 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Pingtung city
Learn more

Pingtung city Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Pingtung city

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$890

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pingtung city 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 Pingtung city and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $890 per month in Pingtung city vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Pingtung city $890
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,441 per month in Pingtung city vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Pingtung city $1,441
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,993 per month in Pingtung city vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Pingtung city $1,993
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Pingtung city is about 26% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Pingtung city and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Pingtung city 35% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 NT$147

$10.92 MX$205

-58.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.78 NT$1,003

$43.37 MX$814

-29.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 NT$154

$11.78 MX$221

-59.76%

Cappuccino

$2.95 NT$96.3

$3.81 MX$71.5

-22.57%

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

$1.02 NT$33.23

$1.28 MX$24.07

-20.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 NT$20.76

$0.78 MX$14.70

-17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 NT$47.49

$3.17 MX$59.5

-53.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 NT$79.3

$4.93 MX$92.7

-50.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.22 NT$105

$1.41 MX$26.40

128.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 NT$60.8

$2.22 MX$41.62

-15.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 NT$82.9

$1.42 MX$26.61

78.87%

Eggs

$2.55 NT$83.3

$2.52 MX$47.36

1.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.44 NT$504

$7.26 MX$136

112.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 NT$250

$7.70 MX$144

-0.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 NT$488

$12.69 MX$238

17.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 NT$141

$2.78 MX$52.3

55.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 NT$62.7

$1.37 MX$25.68

40.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 NT$82.5

$2.55 MX$47.89

-0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 NT$98.6

$2.12 MX$39.86

42.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 NT$39.81

$1.94 MX$36.39

-37.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 NT$60.8

$1.89 MX$35.41

-1.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 NT$73.8

$1.15 MX$21.53

96.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 NT$27.39

$1.18 MX$22.13

-28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 NT$121

$4.30 MX$80.6

-13.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.66 NT$511

$9.95 MX$187

57.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 NT$50.2

$1.58 MX$29.73

-2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 NT$70.6

$2.67 MX$50.1

-19.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 NT$15.66

$0.55 MX$10.39

-12.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NT$85.7

$4.97 MX$93.3

-47.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 NT$26.00

$3.33 MX$62.5

-75.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 NT$204

$5.36 MX$101

16.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 NT$32.36

$1.44 MX$27.11

-31.25%

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

$34.7K NT$1.1M

$20.7K MX$388.0K

68.12%

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

$22.2K NT$722.4K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

-5.58%

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

$108 NT$3,527

$84.8 MX$1,592

27.56%

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

$14.35 NT$468

$23.41 MX$439

-38.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.28 NT$824

$28.66 MX$538

-11.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$9.96 NT$325

$5.14 MX$96.5

93.77%

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

$328 NT$10.7K

$207 MX$3,878

58.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K NT$443.2K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

246.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NT$2,267

$43.35 MX$814

60.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.29 NT$988

$41.44 MX$778

-26.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 NT$2,635

$74.2 MX$1,393

8.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 NT$3,268

$89.3 MX$1,676

12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 NT$7,923

$980 MX$18.4K

-75.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 NT$5,000

$381 MX$7,150

-59.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 NT$23.2K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-58.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 NT$12.1K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-65.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,946 NT$63.4K

$735 MX$13.8K

164.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

11.45

-80.17%

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

Last update for Pingtung city: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pingtung city

$329 37%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 22.6% $74

Accommodation & Living

Pingtung city

$153 17.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 148% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pingtung city

$148 16.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 7.4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Pingtung city

$126 14.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 11.6% $15

Eating Out

Pingtung city

$105 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 93.5% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Pingtung city

$20 * 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 238% $47

Getting Around

Pingtung city

$8.5 * 1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 491% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $243 in Pingtung city versus $980 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 in Pingtung city are about 2.6 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Pingtung city versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $329 in Pingtung city vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Pingtung city

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

22:27 10:27 PM

13 h behind Pingtung city

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

201,644

149,923

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 32.61 TWD (100 TWD = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 36.41 TWD (100 TWD = 2.75 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pingtung city Playa del Carmen 14,350 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Pingtung city
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $890 in Pingtung city, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Pingtung city comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,334 per month in Pingtung city and $1,806 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 Pingtung city, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $243 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $890 in Pingtung city and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Pingtung city about 26% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $328 per month in Pingtung city and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Pingtung city, where all-in costs run around $890, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Pingtung city 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 $890 in Pingtung city to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.