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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,149 in Chiayi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,950 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,751 in Chiayi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than in Chiayi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Chiayi 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.71 NT$217

74.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$40.61 NT$1,311

3.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.88 NT$190

78.74%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.24 NT$72.2

60.27%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.16 NT$37.59

30.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.77 NT$24.99

19.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.88 NT$60.8

57.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.98 NT$96.3

47.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$3.21 NT$104

-56.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.90 NT$61.3

-1.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$3.03 NT$97.9

-48.51%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.92 NT$94.2

-10.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$19.98 NT$645

-58.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$9.89 NT$319

-15.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$20.10 NT$649

-45.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$5.12 NT$165

-47.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.87 NT$92.6

-47.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.76 NT$89.0

-32.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$4.12 NT$133

-46.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.83 NT$91.5

-34.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.17 NT$70.2

2.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.88 NT$60.6

-43.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.33 NT$42.92

-18.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.06 NT$131

3.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$4.78 NT$154

118.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.79 NT$58.0

-7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.43 NT$78.3

7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.84 NT$27.07

-35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$39.58 NT$1,278

-33.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.93 NT$94.6

5.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.42 NT$13.43

471.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$10.02 NT$324

-68.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.04 NT$33.56

25.96%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$37.9K NT$1.2M

-21.31%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$27.4K NT$883.6K

-14.77%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$72.4 NT$2,338

12.28%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$19.02 NT$614

18.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$24.90 NT$804

20.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$37.31 NT$1,205

41.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$15.33 NT$495

19.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$11.98 NT$387

-58.93%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$644 NT$20.8K

-68.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$18.5K NT$596.1K

-71.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$59.1 NT$1,907

-39.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$32.77 NT$1,058

22.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$91.9 NT$2,969

-13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$123 NT$3,987

-29.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$426 NT$13.8K

129.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$290 NT$9,369

62.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,042 NT$33.6K

58.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$720 NT$23.3K

67.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$3,045 NT$98.3K

29.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,834 NT$59.2K

260.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$2,116 NT$68.3K

-68.02%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $426 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 213% 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 $252 vs $379, 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 10% 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 213% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $426 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,149 in Chiayi – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,149 in Chiayi versus $1,260 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 $1,149 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 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.