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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,165 in Chiayi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,965 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,766 in Chiayi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 11% more expensive than in Chiayi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Chiayi 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$204

$6.91 NT$218

69.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$725

$40.53 NT$1,282

3.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$181

$5.78 NT$183

80.10%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.15 NT$68.1

67.91%

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

$1.46 MX$25.28

$1.12 NT$35.51

30.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.77 NT$24.48

25.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.8

$1.89 NT$59.7

54.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.2

$3.08 NT$97.6

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$3.25 NT$103

-56.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$1.91 NT$60.5

-0.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.18

$3.12 NT$98.7

-49.68%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.73

$2.83 NT$89.5

-6.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$146

$20.32 NT$643

-58.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$149

$9.73 NT$308

-11.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$191

$20.48 NT$648

-46.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.91

$5.26 NT$166

-48.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$2.87 NT$90.7

-47.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.22

$2.89 NT$91.5

-33.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.69

$4.16 NT$131

-47.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.53

$2.96 NT$93.8

-36.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.76

$2.19 NT$69.2

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$1.90 NT$60.1

-43.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.37 NT$43.29

-21.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.2

$4.16 NT$131

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$179

$4.71 NT$149

118.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.20

$1.82 NT$57.6

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$2.44 NT$77.2

3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$0.83 NT$26.30

-33.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$456

$39.17 NT$1,239

-32.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$2.90 NT$91.9

10.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.73

$0.45 NT$14.16

446.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$10.10 NT$319

-68.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$0.99 NT$31.19

33.33%

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

$30.2K MX$523.3K

$37.4K NT$1.2M

-19.40%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$28.1K NT$888.0K

-16.65%

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

$81.4 MX$1,412

$73.0 NT$2,310

11.41%

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

$22.41 MX$389

$18.59 NT$588

20.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$520

$25.35 NT$802

18.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$36.83 NT$1,165

39.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$14.93 NT$472

23.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$89.6

$11.74 NT$371

-56.05%

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

$202 MX$3,501

$647 NT$20.5K

-68.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$92.2K

$18.5K NT$586.1K

-71.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$618

$57.5 NT$1,819

-38.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$701

$33.12 NT$1,048

21.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,365

$94.3 NT$2,984

-16.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,507

$122 NT$3,866

-28.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.5K

$427 NT$13.5K

122.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,298

$287 NT$9,077

66.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$28.1K

$1,034 NT$32.7K

56.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$734 NT$23.2K

66.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.6K

$7,466 NT$236.2K

-46.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$112.3K

$5,326 NT$168.5K

21.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

$2,156 NT$68.2K

-68.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

2.19

421.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $427 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 220% 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 $41.00 in Chiayi. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $383, 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 Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 220% lower in Chiayi. 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $427 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,165 in Chiayi – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 49% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,165 in Chiayi versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiayi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,165 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiayi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Chiayi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.