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 $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,072 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,804 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,537 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

$11.67 MX$203

$4.16 ¥28.44

180.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$728

$27.41 ¥187

52.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$181

$5.18 ¥35.41

100.77%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.9

$3.21 ¥21.93

12.46%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.46 ¥3.14

219.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.86

$0.30 ¥2.07

203.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.13 ¥7.75

168.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.7

$2.05 ¥14.04

118.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.91

$1.72 ¥11.78

-19.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.04

$1.64 ¥11.19

12.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.91

$1.07 ¥7.29

50.47%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.67

$1.74 ¥11.89

47.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$15.91 ¥109

-46.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$3.35 ¥22.88

153.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$191

$9.81 ¥67.1

12.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.42

$2.09 ¥14.29

30.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.01

$1.63 ¥11.17

-7.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$1.72 ¥11.77

13.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.83

$1.29 ¥8.81

64.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.41

$0.86 ¥5.86

116.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.80

$0.97 ¥6.63

123.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.65

$0.73 ¥4.96

46.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.24

$0.56 ¥3.86

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.9

$3.40 ¥23.23

23.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$179

$10.54 ¥72.1

-2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.97

$0.82 ¥5.60

103.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.27

$1.83 ¥12.54

36.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.41

$0.54 ¥3.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$457

$31.84 ¥218

-17.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$54.0

$1.86 ¥12.73

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.81

$0.35 ¥2.41

602.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.3

$10.31 ¥70.5

-68.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$1.10 ¥7.52

14.55%

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

$30.2K MX$524.6K

$18.9K ¥129.1K

59.87%

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

$23.4K MX$407.7K

$15.3K ¥104.6K

53.27%

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

$84.0 MX$1,461

$53.1 ¥363

58.14%

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

$22.21 MX$386

$8.61 ¥58.9

157.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$516

$12.56 ¥85.9

136.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$915

$49.03 ¥335

7.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$319

$18.34 ¥125

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$86.0

$8.45 ¥57.8

-41.42%

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

$198 MX$3,449

$682 ¥4,662

-70.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.5K

$24.0K ¥164.5K

-77.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$625

$63.3 ¥433

-43.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$697

$35.25 ¥241

13.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,370

$77.2 ¥528

2.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,504

$101 ¥689

-14.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$17.0K

$891 ¥6,096

9.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,186

$448 ¥3,066

5.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.7K

$1,954 ¥13.4K

-18.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$1,082 ¥7,399

12.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$70.1K

$12.3K ¥83.9K

-67.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.4K

$6,293 ¥43.0K

4.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$1,586 ¥10.8K

-54.96%

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: April 19, 2026

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $891 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 122% 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 in Playa del Carmen versus $27 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $215 – 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 $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,608 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 $27.00 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 $1,261 in Playa del Carmen and $1,072 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 $1,072, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. 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.