Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Changzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Changzhou: $741 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Changzhou
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Changzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Changzhou

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Changzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $741 in Changzhou.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Changzhou $741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,217 in Changzhou.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Changzhou $1,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,694 in Changzhou.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Changzhou $1,694

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 63% more expensive than in Changzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Changzhou 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$2.92 ¥19.50

268.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$28.54 ¥191

50.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$4.51 ¥30.16

161.42%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$2.22 ¥14.82

74.32%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$0.38 ¥2.55

260.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.23 ¥1.53

265.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$0.62 ¥4.15

400.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$1.45 ¥9.69

249.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$1.86 ¥12.47

-22.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$1.28 ¥8.59

74.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.00 ¥6.65

47.00%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$1.72 ¥11.53

47.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$7.41 ¥49.53

-1.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$2.82 ¥18.85

178.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$12.35 ¥82.6

3.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$2.16 ¥14.44

34.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$1.73 ¥11.58

-16.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$1.97 ¥13.14

29.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$1.04 ¥6.96

98.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$0.77 ¥5.13

159.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$0.99 ¥6.63

103.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$0.39 ¥2.60

205.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.62 ¥4.18

103.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$3.29 ¥22.03

33.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$10.58 ¥70.8

-9.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$0.82 ¥5.48

93.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$1.56 ¥10.45

80.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.33 ¥2.20

72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$14.32 ¥95.8

94.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$1.51 ¥10.09

229.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.31 ¥2.08

1029.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$2.93 ¥19.57

84.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.31 ¥8.74

12.21%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$17.1K ¥114.1K

22.96%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$13.8K ¥92.3K

73.16%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$57.5 ¥385

46.43%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$8.13 ¥54.3

195.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$10.66 ¥71.3

172.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$40.60 ¥271

55.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$14.75 ¥98.6

97.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$4.57 ¥30.53

8.10%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$251 ¥1,681

-18.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$15.1K ¥101.0K

-73.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$55.3 ¥370

-21.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$22.58 ¥151

90.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$76.0 ¥508

-0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$76.2 ¥510

16.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$285 ¥1,908

253.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$229 ¥1,529

63.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$917 ¥6,132

86.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$495 ¥3,311

123.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$2,942 ¥19.7K

34.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$1,613 ¥10.8K

282.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$1,067 ¥7,131

-29.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.35

241.79%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Changzhou

$229 30.9% 38.9% $145

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Changzhou

$192 25.9% 25.8% $67

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Changzhou

$72 9.7% 64.5% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Changzhou

$76 10.3% 44.4% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Changzhou

$104 14% 8.4% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Changzhou

$50 6.7% 31.8% $23

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Changzhou

$19 2.5% 64.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changzhou pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $192 per month, with Changzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇳 Changzhou

🕒 Local time

00:31 12:31 AM

13:31 1:31 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

5,278,121

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Changzhou 13,510 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Changzhou

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 Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Changzhou. 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: $1,008 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 35% 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 $29.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $741 in Changzhou versus $1,210 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 63% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.