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: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $708 in Cixi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,144 in Cixi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,580 in Cixi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 78% more expensive than Cixi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Cixi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$2.77 ¥18.93

319.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$21.67 ¥148

97.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$4.80 ¥32.77

120.83%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.00 ¥20.50

19.67%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.44 ¥2.99

229.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.29 ¥1.99

210.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$0.94 ¥6.44

222.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$2.11 ¥14.40

116.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$1.79 ¥12.26

-18.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$1.53 ¥10.48

19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$0.89 ¥6.08

80.90%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$1.55 ¥10.58

63.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$13.02 ¥88.9

-34.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$3.09 ¥21.14

174.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$10.32 ¥70.5

5.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$1.86 ¥12.73

46.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$1.24 ¥8.47

20.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$1.48 ¥10.14

31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$1.14 ¥7.82

89.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$0.70 ¥4.75

164.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$0.97 ¥6.59

125.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.60 ¥4.09

78.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.54 ¥3.70

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$3.14 ¥21.45

29.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$10.58 ¥72.3

-1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$0.80 ¥5.46

106.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$1.59 ¥10.85

60.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.27 ¥1.82

107.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$16.49 ¥113

58.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$1.42 ¥9.70

121.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$0.35 ¥2.42

577.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$6.70 ¥45.73

-51.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.18 ¥8.04

11.02%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$19.2K ¥131.1K

59.13%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$17.3K ¥118.1K

37.73%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$44.62 ¥305

86.33%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$10.05 ¥68.7

120.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$11.74 ¥80.2

150.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$41.66 ¥285

22.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$14.14 ¥96.6

32.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$5.76 ¥39.31

-15.10%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$340 ¥2,322

-41.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$16.5K ¥112.6K

-68.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$44.48 ¥304

-19.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$29.95 ¥205

31.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$71.6 ¥489

12.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$71.9 ¥491

21.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$279 ¥1,905

245.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$196 ¥1,340

145.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$591 ¥4,036

178.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$353 ¥2,412

237.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$3,062 ¥20.9K

29.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$2,021 ¥13.8K

222.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Cixi: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $279 in Cixi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $22 in Cixi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 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 78% 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 $1,894 in Playa del Carmen and $1,062 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $279 in Cixi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 in Playa del Carmen versus $340 in Cixi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Cixi versus $1,262 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 $708 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 78% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.