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: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $648 in Baoji.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,002 in Baoji.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,355 in Baoji.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 95% more expensive than Baoji, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Baoji 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$2.73 ¥18.67

325.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$11.11 ¥75.9

284.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$4.48 ¥30.57

136.61%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.42 ¥16.55

48.35%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.39 ¥2.69

271.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.26 ¥1.77

246.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$0.86 ¥5.85

252.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$1.78 ¥12.19

156.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$1.12 ¥7.64

29.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$1.60 ¥10.95

14.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$0.71 ¥4.82

126.76%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$1.67 ¥11.42

52.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$6.92 ¥47.25

23.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$2.02 ¥13.81

319.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$8.82 ¥60.3

23.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$1.09 ¥7.42

150.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$1.10 ¥7.49

35.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$0.77 ¥5.27

151.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$0.74 ¥5.05

191.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$0.64 ¥4.39

189.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$0.59 ¥4.00

271.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.44 ¥3.02

143.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.49 ¥3.33

120.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$2.85 ¥19.45

42.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$8.37 ¥57.2

24.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$0.58 ¥3.94

184.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$1.69 ¥11.56

50.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.29 ¥1.99

93.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$16.45 ¥112

59.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$0.73 ¥4.96

330.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$0.21 ¥1.43

1028.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$2.75 ¥18.77

17.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.11 ¥7.59

18.02%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$18.6K ¥126.8K

64.44%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$16.5K ¥112.5K

44.62%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$46.00 ¥314

80.74%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$6.10 ¥41.67

263.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$12.01 ¥82.0

144.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$41.33 ¥282

23.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$14.01 ¥95.7

33.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$4.92 ¥33.63

-0.61%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$194 ¥1,324

2.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$8,103 ¥55.3K

-35.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$50.3 ¥343

-28.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$36.98 ¥253

6.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$62.3 ¥425

29.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$69.9 ¥477

25.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$275 ¥1,880

249.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$184 ¥1,257

161.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$592 ¥4,046

177.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$364 ¥2,489

227.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$2,956 ¥20.2K

33.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$1,767 ¥12.1K

268.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Baoji: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $275 in Baoji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $11 in Baoji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $147 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 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,894 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 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 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $199 in Playa del Carmen versus $194 in Baoji. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $648 in Baoji versus $1,262 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 95% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.