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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $817 in Changchun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,230 in Changchun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,644 in Changchun.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 58% more expensive than in Changchun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Changchun 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$2.81 ¥18.82

316.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$21.92 ¥147

112.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$5.93 ¥39.75

96.46%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$2.37 ¥15.91

72.57%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$0.58 ¥3.86

136.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$0.31 ¥2.09

167.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$0.87 ¥5.82

285.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$1.84 ¥12.35

275.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.95 ¥13.04

-11.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$1.27 ¥8.51

77.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$1.35 ¥9.08

31.11%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$1.88 ¥12.61

45.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$34.14 ¥229

-73.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.95 ¥33.19

80.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$8.96 ¥60.1

40.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$1.70 ¥11.38

77.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$1.10 ¥7.36

42.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$1.75 ¥11.72

21.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$1.37 ¥9.20

64.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$0.70 ¥4.72

185.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$0.57 ¥3.79

107.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$1.15 ¥7.73

4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$3.68 ¥24.63

25.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$12.05 ¥80.7

-11.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$0.86 ¥5.74

88.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$1.14 ¥7.66

152.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.43 ¥2.90

32.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$1.18 ¥7.89

361.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$0.29 ¥1.92

1175.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$2.99 ¥20.03

100.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.26 ¥8.48

23.02%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$19.2K ¥128.8K

16.16%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$18.1K ¥121.0K

43.71%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$45.06 ¥302

97.80%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$4.33 ¥29.01

478.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$14.92 ¥100

111.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$37.18 ¥249

82.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$4.11 ¥27.54

603.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$9.53 ¥63.9

-47.01%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$295 ¥1,977

-23.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$8,938 ¥59.9K

-52.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$51.4 ¥344

-7.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$44.54 ¥298

0.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$60.1 ¥403

36.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$69.9 ¥468

31.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$219 ¥1,471

387.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$249 ¥1,670

62.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$578 ¥3,876

234.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$314 ¥2,106

313.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$1,635 ¥11.0K

144.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$976 ¥6,540

579.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$965 ¥6,468

-22.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.37

162.01%

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 Changchun: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $219 in Changchun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changchun pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Changchun. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $277, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Changchun. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $219 in Changchun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $295 in Changchun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Changchun – 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.

At $817 in Changchun versus $1,293 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 58% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.