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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $708 in Changzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,160 in Changzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,612 in Changzhou.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 83% more expensive than Changzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Changzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.84 ¥19.24

313.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$26.70 ¥181

55.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.24 ¥28.74

150.94%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$2.95 ¥20.00

19.32%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$0.48 ¥3.22

214.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.25 ¥1.68

288.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.69 ¥4.66

327.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.42 ¥9.64

213.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$1.99 ¥13.49

-30.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$1.27 ¥8.61

48.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$0.93 ¥6.30

76.34%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$1.80 ¥12.18

39.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.80 ¥46.08

22.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$2.41 ¥16.33

246.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$9.43 ¥63.9

13.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$1.77 ¥12.00

46.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$1.79 ¥12.11

-18.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$1.65 ¥11.16

15.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$0.96 ¥6.51

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$0.73 ¥4.96

143.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$0.92 ¥6.22

138.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.39 ¥2.65

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.49 ¥3.30

120.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$3.01 ¥20.42

35.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$10.32 ¥69.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$0.69 ¥4.65

147.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$1.62 ¥11.00

59.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.30 ¥2.01

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$13.20 ¥89.4

100.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.35 ¥9.14

141.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.28 ¥1.91

789.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$2.71 ¥18.34

19.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.16 ¥7.85

12.93%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$15.4K ¥104.2K

96.90%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$17.4K ¥117.7K

34.86%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$44.68 ¥303

85.47%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$11.47 ¥77.7

93.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$18.22 ¥123

61.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$38.78 ¥263

33.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$14.10 ¥95.5

29.93%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$6.43 ¥43.53

-21.15%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$230 ¥1,560

-12.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$13.9K ¥94.0K

-62.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$46.28 ¥313

-20.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$26.00 ¥176

53.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$70.6 ¥478

11.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$69.0 ¥467

26.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$285 ¥1,931

241.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$204 ¥1,384

128.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$844 ¥5,715

94.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$472 ¥3,196

158.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$2,967 ¥20.1K

32.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$1,597 ¥10.8K

306.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,140 ¥7,722

-41.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.35

240.90%

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 Changzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changzhou pays 72% 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 $27.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $174 per month, with Changzhou 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 Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Changzhou earns 72% 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 $285 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $708 in Changzhou versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changzhou 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 Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.