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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $649 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,061 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,473 in Bengbu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 100% more expensive than Bengbu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Bengbu 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.84 ¥19.23

313.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$22.21 ¥150

87.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.98 ¥33.71

113.65%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$3.18 ¥21.53

10.69%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$0.45 ¥3.03

235.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.26 ¥1.77

273.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.81 ¥5.49

264.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.03 ¥13.75

119.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$2.04 ¥13.80

-32.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$1.02 ¥6.88

85.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$0.72 ¥4.88

127.78%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$1.47 ¥9.94

70.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.30 ¥63.0

-10.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$2.85 ¥19.27

192.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$8.76 ¥59.3

22.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$1.35 ¥9.16

92.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$0.95 ¥6.41

53.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$1.37 ¥9.30

38.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$0.71 ¥4.81

192.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$0.57 ¥3.88

212.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$0.55 ¥3.70

298.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.71 ¥4.84

46.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.43 ¥2.95

151.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$2.85 ¥19.32

43.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.04 ¥40.90

70.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$0.67 ¥4.51

155.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$1.35 ¥9.17

91.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.27 ¥1.82

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$16.96 ¥115

56.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.52 ¥10.29

114.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.36 ¥2.41

591.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$8.57 ¥58.1

-62.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.12 ¥7.59

16.96%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$17.3K ¥117.2K

75.01%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$14.3K ¥97.1K

63.50%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$34.21 ¥232

142.24%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$4.93 ¥33.36

350.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$8.15 ¥55.2

260.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$41.98 ¥284

22.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$13.95 ¥94.5

31.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$5.47 ¥37.04

-7.31%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$410 ¥2,777

-51.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$18.4K ¥124.3K

-71.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$43.07 ¥292

-14.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$33.20 ¥225

19.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$67.7 ¥458

15.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$82.8 ¥561

5.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$278 ¥1,882

250.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$185 ¥1,253

152.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$587 ¥3,977

179.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$367 ¥2,485

232.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$3,084 ¥20.9K

27.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$1,783 ¥12.1K

264.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$652 ¥4,417

1.81%

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 Bengbu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $278 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 2% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $158 per month, with Bengbu 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 Bengbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bengbu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 2% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $278 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $410 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $649 in Bengbu versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bengbu but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bengbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bengbu 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 Bengbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.