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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $714 in Cixi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,133 in Cixi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,552 in Cixi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 82% more expensive than Cixi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cixi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.76 ¥18.73

325.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$21.69 ¥147

91.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.94 ¥33.45

115.38%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$3.06 ¥20.73

15.03%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$0.43 ¥2.94

251.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.29 ¥1.99

234.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.95 ¥6.41

210.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.14 ¥14.50

107.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$1.81 ¥12.26

-23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$1.55 ¥10.50

21.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$0.90 ¥6.10

82.22%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$1.60 ¥10.87

56.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$12.81 ¥86.8

-34.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.23 ¥21.88

158.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$10.28 ¥69.6

4.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$1.80 ¥12.17

44.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$1.20 ¥8.14

21.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$1.50 ¥10.15

26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$1.09 ¥7.38

90.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$0.74 ¥5.03

140.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$0.92 ¥6.21

138.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.56 ¥3.81

85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.52 ¥3.52

107.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$3.07 ¥20.80

32.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$10.67 ¥72.3

-3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$0.79 ¥5.33

116.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$1.58 ¥10.68

63.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.29 ¥1.99

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$16.39 ¥111

61.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.40 ¥9.49

132.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.33 ¥2.22

654.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$6.65 ¥45.05

-51.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.14 ¥7.71

14.91%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$19.6K ¥132.6K

54.61%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$16.9K ¥114.8K

38.26%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$45.30 ¥307

82.94%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$9.59 ¥65.0

131.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$11.86 ¥80.3

147.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$41.86 ¥284

23.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$13.97 ¥94.6

31.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$5.87 ¥39.74

-13.63%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$334 ¥2,262

-39.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$16.7K ¥112.8K

-68.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$44.52 ¥302

-17.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$30.97 ¥210

28.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$71.8 ¥486

9.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$70.9 ¥480

22.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$277 ¥1,878

250.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$191 ¥1,292

145.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$599 ¥4,057

174.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$359 ¥2,432

240.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$3,032 ¥20.5K

30.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$2,000 ¥13.5K

224.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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 2, 2026

Last update for Cixi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $277 in Cixi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Cixi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $198 per month, with Cixi 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 Cixi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cixi wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cixi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,071 in Cixi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $277 in Cixi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $334 in Cixi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $714 in Cixi versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cixi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cixi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cixi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $714 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cixi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cixi 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 Cixi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.