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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $656 in Bozhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,059 in Bozhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,461 in Bozhou.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 97% more expensive than in Bozhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Bozhou 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$1.48 ¥9.91

691.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$21.91 ¥147

112.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$4.53 ¥30.39

157.17%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$2.61 ¥17.54

56.70%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.38 ¥2.57

260.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.27 ¥1.79

207.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.06 ¥7.13

216.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$1.83 ¥12.26

277.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.23 ¥8.22

40.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$2.03 ¥13.62

11.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$0.47 ¥3.13

276.60%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$0.91 ¥6.09

200.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$13.67 ¥91.7

-32.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$2.20 ¥14.76

305.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$10.37 ¥69.6

21.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$1.22 ¥8.17

147.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.02 ¥6.87

53.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$0.71 ¥4.78

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$0.77 ¥5.17

193.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$0.43 ¥2.89

365.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$0.61 ¥4.06

237.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.61 ¥4.06

93.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.57 ¥3.85

110.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$3.00 ¥20.10

54.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$11.88 ¥79.7

-10.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$0.93 ¥6.22

74.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$1.17 ¥7.82

146.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.29 ¥1.94

96.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$18.97 ¥127

57.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$1.06 ¥7.09

414.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.34 ¥2.29

988.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$3.58 ¥24.05

67.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.08 ¥7.28

43.52%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$19.4K ¥130.4K

14.89%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$16.5K ¥110.4K

57.66%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$49.63 ¥333

79.59%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$4.28 ¥28.71

485.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$7.25 ¥48.65

334.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$41.55 ¥279

63.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$14.54 ¥97.6

98.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$3.83 ¥25.70

31.85%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$239 ¥1,601

-5.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$8,506 ¥57.1K

-50.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$43.73 ¥293

8.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$33.04 ¥222

36.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$64.0 ¥430

28.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$73.2 ¥491

25.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$332 ¥2,227

222.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$190 ¥1,273

113.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$581 ¥3,900

233.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$421 ¥2,825

209.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$2,766 ¥18.6K

44.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,925 ¥12.9K

244.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$734 ¥4,928

1.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.15

263.49%

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 Bozhou: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $332 in Bozhou. 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Bozhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $183 per month, with Bozhou 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 Bozhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bozhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% 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 $332 in Bozhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bozhou – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $656 in Bozhou – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $656 in Bozhou versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bozhou but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bozhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bozhou 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 Bozhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.