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: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $657 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,050 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,443 in Bengbu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 92% more expensive than 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

$11.61 MX$201

$2.84 ¥19.40

308.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$22.65 ¥155

88.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$4.85 ¥33.12

118.56%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.11 ¥21.26

15.43%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.45 ¥3.05

222.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.24 ¥1.63

275.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$0.80 ¥5.47

278.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$2.15 ¥14.70

112.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$2.06 ¥14.07

-29.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$1.01 ¥6.92

81.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$0.67 ¥4.54

140.30%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$1.49 ¥10.20

70.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$9.31 ¥63.6

-8.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$2.84 ¥19.36

198.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$9.18 ¥62.7

18.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$1.36 ¥9.32

100.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$1.01 ¥6.88

47.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$1.36 ¥9.32

42.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$0.71 ¥4.85

204.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$0.58 ¥3.93

218.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$0.58 ¥3.98

277.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.71 ¥4.85

50.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.44 ¥2.99

145.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$2.82 ¥19.26

43.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$6.03 ¥41.16

73.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$0.71 ¥4.87

132.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$1.35 ¥9.21

88.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.29 ¥1.99

93.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$16.96 ¥116

54.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$1.49 ¥10.17

110.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$0.33 ¥2.22

618.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$8.23 ¥56.2

-60.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.18 ¥8.05

11.02%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$17.1K ¥117.0K

78.29%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$14.2K ¥97.0K

67.72%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$34.29 ¥234

142.46%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$4.94 ¥33.73

348.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$8.48 ¥57.9

246.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$42.48 ¥290

20.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$14.01 ¥95.7

33.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$5.65 ¥38.59

-13.45%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$411 ¥2,807

-51.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$18.2K ¥124.2K

-71.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$43.09 ¥294

-16.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$32.50 ¥222

21.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$67.2 ¥459

19.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$82.1 ¥561

6.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$282 ¥1,929

241.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$184 ¥1,256

162.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$593 ¥4,053

177.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$360 ¥2,459

231.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$3,185 ¥21.8K

24.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$1,807 ¥12.3K

260.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$660 ¥4,508

10.04%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $282 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 10% 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: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $23 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $160 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 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 10% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $282 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 in Playa del Carmen versus $411 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $657 in Bengbu versus $1,262 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 92% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.