Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Beijing (Pekin) Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Beijing (Pekin)

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,069 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,802 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,536 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Beijing (Pekin), driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$209

$4.28 ¥28.98

179.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$734

$28.21 ¥191

48.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$5.23 ¥35.39

99.24%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.5

$3.10 ¥21.00

13.23%

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

$1.52 MX$26.56

$0.42 ¥2.88

261.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.95

$0.30 ¥2.04

203.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.2

$1.09 ¥7.36

178.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.5

$2.04 ¥13.83

114.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.89

$1.73 ¥11.70

-17.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.07

$1.60 ¥10.81

14.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.63

$1.06 ¥7.18

53.77%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.48

$1.66 ¥11.24

53.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$15.60 ¥106

-45.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$149

$3.30 ¥22.32

157.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$9.66 ¥65.4

11.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.25

$2.07 ¥14.02

32.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.16

$1.59 ¥10.73

-9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.74 ¥11.76

8.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.01

$1.29 ¥8.73

68.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.17

$0.84 ¥5.67

111.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.96

$0.97 ¥6.57

128.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.72

$0.68 ¥4.59

57.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.91

$0.52 ¥3.51

107.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.6

$3.53 ¥23.88

17.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$14.77 ¥99.9

-29.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.53

$0.86 ¥5.81

102.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.21

$1.84 ¥12.44

40.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.99

$0.58 ¥3.93

-12.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$454

$30.94 ¥209

-16.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.2

$1.76 ¥11.90

82.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.83

$0.35 ¥2.39

614.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.8

$10.52 ¥71.2

-69.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$22.01

$1.13 ¥7.64

11.50%

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

$29.7K MX$520.0K

$18.2K ¥122.9K

63.52%

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

$23.7K MX$414.8K

$15.8K ¥107.0K

49.71%

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

$82.0 MX$1,437

$51.2 ¥347

60.12%

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

$22.73 MX$398

$8.70 ¥58.9

161.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$515

$12.51 ¥84.7

135.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$914

$48.42 ¥328

7.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$323

$18.36 ¥124

0.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.4

$8.46 ¥57.3

-41.73%

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

$202 MX$3,534

$678 ¥4,589

-70.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.4K

$24.2K ¥163.8K

-78.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$629

$61.5 ¥416

-41.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$706

$34.85 ¥236

15.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,399

$77.8 ¥527

2.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,564

$99.5 ¥673

-10.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

$896 ¥6,062

5.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,150

$458 ¥3,098

1.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

$1,935 ¥13.1K

-15.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.9K

$1,078 ¥7,292

10.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.9K

$12.3K ¥83.3K

-68.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.6K

$6,111 ¥41.4K

5.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$1,586 ¥10.7K

-58.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.64

213.74%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $896 in Beijing (Pekin). Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 141% higher in Beijing (Pekin), 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $221 – making Beijing (Pekin) 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 Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 18%, 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 $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,604 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $28.00 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,259 in Playa del Carmen and $1,069 in Beijing (Pekin). The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Beijing (Pekin), where all-in costs run around $1,069, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. In Beijing (Pekin) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Beijing (Pekin) – 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 Beijing (Pekin). 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.