Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Benxi

For one person, living is cheaper in Benxi: $692 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Benxi
Learn more

Benxi Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Benxi

🇨🇳 China

$692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Benxi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Benxi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $692 in Benxi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Benxi $692

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $991 in Benxi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Benxi $991

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,291 in Benxi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Benxi $1,291

Playa del Carmen costs about 74% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Benxi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Benxi 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$3.04 ¥20.19

259.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$22.33 ¥148

94.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.31 ¥35.25

121.85%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$2.40 ¥15.98

58.75%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.51 ¥3.39

150.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.29 ¥1.89

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$0.73 ¥4.84

334.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$1.76 ¥11.69

180.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.85 ¥12.28

-23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$1.22 ¥8.08

81.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$0.84 ¥5.60

69.05%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$1.60 ¥10.65

57.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$10.00 ¥66.4

-27.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$2.85 ¥18.92

170.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$8.92 ¥59.3

42.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.62 ¥10.74

71.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.38 ¥9.17

-0.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.62 ¥10.76

57.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$1.37 ¥9.12

54.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$0.58 ¥3.88

234.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$1.85 ¥12.26

2.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.61 ¥4.09

88.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.69 ¥4.57

71.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$2.97 ¥19.75

44.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$8.24 ¥54.7

20.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$0.58 ¥3.85

172.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$1.25 ¥8.30

113.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.31 ¥2.09

77.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$12.21 ¥81.1

118.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.88 ¥5.84

464.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.29 ¥1.91

1048.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$2.98 ¥19.82

79.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.13 ¥7.53

27.43%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$19.8K ¥131.7K

4.30%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$18.0K ¥119.4K

30.59%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$54.4 ¥361

55.98%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$6.70 ¥44.51

249.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$10.41 ¥69.2

175.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$66.3 ¥441

-13.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$8.31 ¥55.2

247.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$6.03 ¥40.08

-14.76%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$449 ¥2,985

-54.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$8,894 ¥59.1K

-55.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$29.74 ¥198

45.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$32.77 ¥218

26.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$60.2 ¥400

23.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$52.4 ¥348

70.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$137 ¥907

617.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$189 ¥1,259

101.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$258 ¥1,711

563.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$153 ¥1,015

603.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$3,371 ¥22.4K

16.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,941 ¥12.9K

217.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$447 ¥2,971

64.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

186.25%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Benxi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Benxi

$189 27.4% 50.3% $191

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Benxi

$179 25.9% 29.7% $76

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Benxi

$79 11.5% 60.7% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Benxi

$71 10.3% 47.8% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Benxi

$79 11.4% 29.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Benxi

$78 11.3% 16.4% $11

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Benxi

$16 2.3% 68.7% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $137 in Benxi. 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 64% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $22 in Benxi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $179 – making Benxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇳 Benxi

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

16:10 4:10 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

809,655

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Benxi 12,430 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Benxi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Benxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 74% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,039 in Benxi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benxi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $449 in Benxi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Benxi, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Benxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $692 in Benxi to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Benxi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.