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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $730 in Chenzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,161 in Chenzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,591 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 74% more than Chenzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Chenzhou are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Chenzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.75 ¥18.58

331.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$20.50 ¥139

109.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.82 ¥32.59

120.95%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.36 ¥9.16

153.68%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.43 ¥2.89

248.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.25 ¥1.67

280.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.13 ¥7.66

168.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.85 ¥12.48

149.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.99 ¥13.45

-30.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.36 ¥15.96

-21.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.72 ¥4.84

123.61%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.60 ¥10.81

61.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$15.95 ¥108

-48.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.20 ¥21.63

161.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.20 ¥62.2

15.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.53 ¥3.61

396.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.09 ¥7.37

36.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.72 ¥4.89

166.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.09 ¥7.40

91.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.89 ¥6.04

108.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.43 ¥9.67

58.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.47 ¥3.19

125.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.43 ¥2.90

153.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.76 ¥18.65

50.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$12.63 ¥85.4

-17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.91 ¥6.13

89.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.42 ¥9.61

83.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.29 ¥1.96

86.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$16.61 ¥112

62.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.28 ¥8.63

144.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.26 ¥1.74

865.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.27 ¥55.9

-61.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.17 ¥7.92

8.55%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$20.4K ¥137.9K

48.90%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$21.9K ¥147.8K

7.82%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$43.09 ¥291

92.62%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$12.56 ¥84.9

80.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$14.54 ¥98.3

102.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$41.27 ¥279

23.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$13.81 ¥93.4

32.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.82 ¥39.36

-15.29%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$315 ¥2,131

-37.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,366 ¥49.8K

-28.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$85.3 ¥577

-56.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$30.38 ¥205

31.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$81.3 ¥550

-1.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$69.3 ¥469

29.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$283 ¥1,912

238.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$190 ¥1,282

151.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$599 ¥4,051

174.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$367 ¥2,485

233.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$3,116 ¥21.1K

25.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,844 ¥12.5K

250.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.89

193.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chenzhou: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $283 in Chenzhou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $20.00 in Chenzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $207 – making Chenzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $730 in Chenzhou – roughly 74% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,095 in Chenzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chenzhou, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Chenzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $315 in Chenzhou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chenzhou, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Chenzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $730 in Chenzhou to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chenzhou. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.