Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Chongqing

For one person, living is cheaper in Chongqing: $722 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Chongqing
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Chongqing Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $722 in Chongqing, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Chongqing $722

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,175 in Chongqing, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Chongqing $1,175

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,629 in Chongqing, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Chongqing $1,629

Playa del Carmen costs about 67% more than Chongqing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Chongqing are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Chongqing 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$2.64 ¥17.62

311.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$22.26 ¥149

98.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$4.83 ¥32.27

143.48%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.07 ¥13.81

77.78%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.46 ¥3.11

191.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.31 ¥2.09

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$1.22 ¥8.15

150.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$1.77 ¥11.84

179.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.01 ¥13.44

-26.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.66 ¥11.07

33.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$0.61 ¥4.05

142.62%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.25 ¥15.04

10.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$17.76 ¥119

-57.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$3.31 ¥22.11

140.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$10.03 ¥67.1

25.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$1.49 ¥10.00

86.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.28 ¥8.57

11.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.23 ¥8.26

113.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.21 ¥8.07

76.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.61 ¥4.08

231.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.02 ¥6.79

95.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.90 ¥6.02

26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.62 ¥4.12

93.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$3.04 ¥20.32

40.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$8.98 ¥60.1

11.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$0.76 ¥5.10

102.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.73 ¥11.55

53.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.36 ¥2.38

47.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$22.52 ¥151

22.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$1.46 ¥9.74

235.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.31 ¥2.09

1006.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$2.91 ¥19.46

84.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.32 ¥8.80

9.85%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$19.4K ¥129.8K

8.95%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$17.2K ¥115.0K

33.86%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$45.07 ¥301

89.39%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$7.26 ¥48.52

223.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$7.19 ¥48.09

295.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$49.49 ¥331

25.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$10.40 ¥69.6

175.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$5.95 ¥39.81

-14.29%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$289 ¥1,929

-30.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$25.1K ¥167.8K

-84.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$39.99 ¥267

11.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$29.64 ¥198

39.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$66.0 ¥441

10.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$64.4 ¥430

39.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$426 ¥2,851

129.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$196 ¥1,313

89.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$894 ¥5,977

88.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$422 ¥2,823

159.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,741 ¥18.3K

44.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,741 ¥11.6K

252.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$1,102 ¥7,371

-33.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.34

242.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chongqing: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Chongqing

$196 27.2% 47.3% $176

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Chongqing

$214 29.7% 17.1% $44

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Chongqing

$73 10.1% 63.5% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Chongqing

$60 8.3% 56.6% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Chongqing

$90 12.5% 19.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Chongqing

$61 8.5% 15.2% $11

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Chongqing

$27 3.7% 47.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $426 in Chongqing. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 49% higher in Chongqing, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Chongqing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $214 – making Chongqing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🕒 Local time

10:34 10:34 AM

23:34 11:34 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,564,449

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Chongqing 14,250 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Chongqing

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 Chongqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,082 in Chongqing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $289 in Chongqing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chongqing, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Chongqing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chongqing – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Chongqing. 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.