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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $648 in Baoji.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,007 in Baoji.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,365 in Baoji.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 96% more expensive than Baoji, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Baoji 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.75 ¥18.58

331.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$10.86 ¥73.5

295.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.58 ¥30.94

132.53%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.44 ¥16.52

41.39%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.39 ¥2.64

284.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.28 ¥1.90

239.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$0.82 ¥5.54

269.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.72 ¥11.61

168.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.16 ¥7.86

18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.60 ¥10.84

15.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.71 ¥4.80

126.76%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.62 ¥10.92

59.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.02 ¥47.44

17.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$2.06 ¥13.95

306.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.82 ¥59.6

20.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.08 ¥7.32

143.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.11 ¥7.47

34.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.83 ¥5.61

131.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.68 ¥4.60

207.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.64 ¥4.35

190.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.54 ¥3.66

318.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.48 ¥3.23

120.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.52 ¥3.53

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.74 ¥18.55

51.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.60 ¥51.4

36.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.57 ¥3.86

201.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.71 ¥11.55

52.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.27 ¥1.82

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$16.79 ¥114

60.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.73 ¥4.95

328.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.23 ¥1.56

991.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.87 ¥19.42

9.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.16 ¥7.86

9.48%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$18.7K ¥126.2K

62.78%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$16.1K ¥108.7K

46.60%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$45.25 ¥306

83.43%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$6.03 ¥40.76

276.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$11.69 ¥79.0

152.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$42.36 ¥286

20.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$14.08 ¥95.2

30.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.74 ¥32.04

4.01%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$192 ¥1,298

2.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,294 ¥56.1K

-36.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$49.30 ¥333

-25.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$37.74 ¥255

5.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$61.7 ¥417

29.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$68.6 ¥464

30.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$274 ¥1,850

249.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$189 ¥1,277

152.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$594 ¥4,019

176.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$355 ¥2,398

245.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$3,015 ¥20.4K

29.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,888 ¥12.8K

242.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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 7, 2026

Last update for Baoji: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $274 in Baoji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $11.00 in Baoji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $146 per month, with Baoji cheaper across the board.

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 Baoji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baoji is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $972 in Baoji to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $274 in Baoji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baoji runs roughly 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $192 in Baoji. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $648 in Baoji versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baoji but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Baoji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baoji is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Baoji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.