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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $671 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,053 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,435 in Bengbu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 93% more expensive than in Bengbu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Bengbu 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$2.21 ¥14.85

429.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$10.26 ¥68.9

354.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$4.80 ¥32.21

142.71%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$3.13 ¥20.97

30.67%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.43 ¥2.91

218.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.25 ¥1.68

232.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.48 ¥9.92

126.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.20 ¥14.79

214.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$2.17 ¥14.58

-20.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.07 ¥7.19

111.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$0.72 ¥4.80

145.83%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$1.36 ¥9.13

100.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$10.50 ¥70.5

-12.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$2.91 ¥19.53

206.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$9.10 ¥61.1

38.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$1.46 ¥9.78

106.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.06 ¥7.13

48.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$1.52 ¥10.20

40.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$0.70 ¥4.73

222.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$0.61 ¥4.08

227.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$0.62 ¥4.14

232.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.73 ¥4.89

61.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.46 ¥3.09

160.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$3.02 ¥20.26

53.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$5.92 ¥39.71

80.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$0.76 ¥5.09

113.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$1.53 ¥10.27

88.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.31 ¥2.10

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$18.14 ¥122

64.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$1.68 ¥11.25

224.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.35 ¥2.37

957.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$8.91 ¥59.8

-32.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.24 ¥8.35

25.00%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$19.4K ¥130.0K

15.20%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$16.3K ¥109.5K

59.00%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$37.69 ¥253

136.48%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$5.35 ¥35.87

368.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$6.97 ¥46.79

351.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$40.49 ¥272

67.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$12.99 ¥87.2

122.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$6.02 ¥40.41

-16.11%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$417 ¥2,795

-46.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$22.7K ¥152.4K

-81.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$43.03 ¥289

10.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$33.55 ¥225

34.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$65.2 ¥438

25.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$85.9 ¥576

7.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$287 ¥1,925

272.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$182 ¥1,218

123.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$568 ¥3,809

240.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$325 ¥2,181

300.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$3,366 ¥22.6K

18.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,647 ¥11.1K

302.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$675 ¥4,528

10.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.42

234.80%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $287 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 11% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $10.00 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $168 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 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $287 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $417 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $671 in Bengbu versus $1,293 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 93% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.