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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $721 in Changchun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,112 in Changchun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,503 in Changchun.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 80% more expensive than Changchun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Changchun 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.72 ¥18.38

331.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$20.09 ¥136

107.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.76 ¥32.21

123.53%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.67 ¥18.04

31.84%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.46 ¥3.09

228.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.27 ¥1.81

259.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.86 ¥5.80

243.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.04 ¥13.80

118.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.94 ¥13.12

-28.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.23 ¥8.31

53.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.21 ¥8.20

35.54%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.06 ¥7.20

136.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$13.07 ¥88.4

-36.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.51 ¥23.70

137.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.61 ¥58.2

24.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.45 ¥9.79

79.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.06 ¥7.14

37.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.83 ¥5.58

128.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.35 ¥9.15

54.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.68 ¥4.57

161.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.62 ¥4.16

253.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.44 ¥2.98

136.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.51 ¥3.45

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.15 ¥21.31

29.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$12.02 ¥81.3

-14.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.72 ¥4.89

137.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$0.96 ¥6.49

168.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.29 ¥1.99

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$16.85 ¥114

57.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.09 ¥7.34

199.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.26 ¥1.75

857.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$3.29 ¥22.25

-1.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.13 ¥7.67

15.93%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$18.3K ¥123.9K

65.26%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

22.02%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$41.43 ¥280

100.02%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$14.73 ¥99.6

50.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$14.13 ¥95.6

107.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$42.61 ¥288

21.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$3.79 ¥25.60

383.38%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.95 ¥33.44

2.42%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$280 ¥1,891

-28.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$8,289 ¥56.1K

-37.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$27.97 ¥189

32.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$31.03 ¥210

28.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$73.2 ¥495

7.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$79.4 ¥537

9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$275 ¥1,863

253.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$228 ¥1,539

105.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$599 ¥4,048

174.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$365 ¥2,466

234.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,804 ¥12.2K

118.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,125 ¥7,607

477.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$962 ¥6,504

-30.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.27

116.70%

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 Changchun: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $275 in Changchun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changchun pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in Changchun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $188 per month, with Changchun 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 Changchun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changchun is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Changchun earns 45% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 in Changchun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Changchun runs roughly 57% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 in Changchun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $721 in Changchun versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changchun but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Changchun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changchun 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 Changchun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.