Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ankang Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ankang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $658 in Ankang, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,041 in Ankang, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,424 in Ankang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 97% more than Ankang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ankang are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Ankang 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$2.84 ¥19.20

313.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$18.21 ¥123

128.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$5.52 ¥37.36

92.75%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.4

$2.24 ¥15.17

57.14%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$0.42 ¥2.87

259.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.28 ¥1.90

246.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.08 ¥7.29

173.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$1.72 ¥11.64

158.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.55 ¥10.47

-10.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.03

$1.57 ¥10.63

20.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$0.85 ¥5.76

92.94%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$1.61 ¥10.88

55.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$7.13 ¥48.25

16.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$2.06 ¥13.93

304.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$8.85 ¥59.8

21.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.47

$1.58 ¥10.72

64.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.14 ¥7.69

28.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.33 ¥8.99

42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$0.76 ¥5.15

173.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$0.70 ¥4.74

154.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$0.60 ¥4.06

265.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.54 ¥3.67

92.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.56 ¥3.79

92.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$2.78 ¥18.78

46.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$7.59 ¥51.4

35.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$0.77 ¥5.19

122.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.97

$1.70 ¥11.53

51.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.29 ¥1.97

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$16.74 ¥113

58.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$1.40 ¥9.45

132.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.50

$0.36 ¥2.41

591.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$4.13 ¥27.96

-21.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.19 ¥8.05

10.08%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$20.9K ¥141.4K

44.82%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$16.5K ¥111.5K

42.21%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$46.38 ¥314

78.68%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$3.10 ¥20.95

616.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$12.11 ¥81.9

142.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$41.20 ¥279

25.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$14.10 ¥95.4

29.93%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$4.95 ¥33.47

2.42%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$340 ¥2,303

-41.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$17.9K ¥120.8K

-70.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$54.6 ¥369

-32.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$36.64 ¥248

8.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$69.1 ¥467

13.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$71.6 ¥485

21.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$279 ¥1,885

249.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,168

$190 ¥1,284

146.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$594 ¥4,017

176.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$356 ¥2,407

243.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$3,246 ¥22.0K

21.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,757 ¥11.9K

269.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.32

164.35%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ankang: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $279 in Ankang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $18.00 in Ankang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $158 – making Ankang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 97%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $988 in Ankang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 58% less in Ankang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $340 in Ankang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ankang, where all-in costs run around $658, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Ankang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ankang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ankang. 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.