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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $704 in Beihai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,138 in Beihai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,573 in Beihai, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 84% more than Beihai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Beihai are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Beihai 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$2.82 ¥19.05

315.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$21.25 ¥144

95.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$4.78 ¥32.32

122.59%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.4

$2.92 ¥19.78

20.55%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$0.46 ¥3.11

228.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.27 ¥1.81

259.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$0.87 ¥5.87

239.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$2.12 ¥14.34

109.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.78 ¥12.02

-22.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.03

$1.61 ¥10.90

17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$0.90 ¥6.06

82.22%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$1.57 ¥10.61

59.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$12.81 ¥86.6

-34.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$3.20 ¥21.67

160.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$10.36 ¥70.1

3.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.47

$1.77 ¥11.99

46.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.25 ¥8.47

16.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.36 ¥9.23

39.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$1.08 ¥7.32

92.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$0.67 ¥4.50

165.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$0.97 ¥6.53

125.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.60 ¥4.03

73.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.55 ¥3.69

96.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$3.15 ¥21.31

29.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$11.43 ¥77.3

-9.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$0.79 ¥5.33

116.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.97

$1.60 ¥10.81

61.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.27 ¥1.81

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$16.93 ¥115

56.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$1.36 ¥9.20

139.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.50

$0.35 ¥2.38

611.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$6.86 ¥46.43

-52.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.13 ¥7.67

15.93%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$19.2K ¥129.7K

57.94%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$16.7K ¥113.1K

40.18%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$46.09 ¥312

79.80%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$9.87 ¥66.7

125.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$11.52 ¥78.0

154.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$41.94 ¥284

23.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$13.82 ¥93.5

32.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$6.41 ¥43.37

-20.90%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$340 ¥2,297

-40.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$17.2K ¥116.5K

-69.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$42.73 ¥289

-13.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$30.04 ¥203

32.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$71.9 ¥487

9.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$74.4 ¥503

17.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$275 ¥1,863

253.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,168

$186 ¥1,259

151.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$593 ¥4,011

176.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$357 ¥2,417

241.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$3,044 ¥20.6K

29.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,709 ¥11.6K

280.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.87

195.09%

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 Beihai: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 in Beihai. 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 $21.00 in Beihai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $199 – making Beihai 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 Beihai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 84% more than Beihai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,055 in Beihai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 25% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $21.00 in Beihai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beihai, where all-in costs run around $704, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Beihai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Beihai costs $704 versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Beihai. 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.