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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,058 in Chiayi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,497 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,937 in Chiayi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 20% more expensive than in Chiayi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Chiayi 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.83 NT$154

140.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$46.59 NT$1,483

1.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.83 NT$186

103.77%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.53 NT$113

12.75%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.85 NT$26.98

68.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.65 NT$20.81

26.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.85 NT$90.8

11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.68 NT$117

84.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$3.12 NT$99.2

-46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.03 NT$64.8

8.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$3.08 NT$97.9

-44.48%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.69 NT$85.6

1.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$19.52 NT$621

-50.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$9.56 NT$304

-5.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$21.35 NT$680

-40.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$5.07 NT$161

-43.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$3.43 NT$109

-56.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$3.16 NT$101

-31.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$4.57 NT$145

-50.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.70 NT$85.8

-26.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.26 NT$71.8

-11.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.77 NT$56.4

-30.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.12 NT$35.72

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.84 NT$122

18.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$4.63 NT$147

123.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.72 NT$54.9

-5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.29 NT$73.0

25.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$12.51 NT$398

130.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.61 NT$83.1

106.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.46 NT$14.64

710.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$9.23 NT$294

-37.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.02 NT$32.49

50.98%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$33.8K NT$1.1M

-33.23%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$24.5K NT$778.3K

6.57%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$65.8 NT$2,095

38.83%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$17.73 NT$564

42.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$27.95 NT$890

11.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$31.98 NT$1,018

110.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$9.85 NT$314

-50.66%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$631 NT$20.1K

-64.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$16.6K NT$527.0K

-74.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$63.4 NT$2,017

-25.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$39.63 NT$1,262

11.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$83.9 NT$2,672

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$104 NT$3,304

-10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$375 NT$11.9K

183.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$251 NT$7,981

55.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$3,152 NT$100.3K

26.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,883 NT$59.9K

245.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$2,129 NT$67.8K

-64.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.4

377.08%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $375 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 181% 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 $47.00 in Chiayi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $382 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 20% 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 181% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $375 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,058 in Chiayi – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 130% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,058 in Chiayi versus $1,266 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 $1,058 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 20% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.