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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $711 in Datong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,127 in Datong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,543 in Datong.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 77% more expensive than Datong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$2.84 ¥19.43

308.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$740

$21.16 ¥145

102.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$4.96 ¥33.90

113.71%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.2

$3.03 ¥20.70

18.48%

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

$1.45 MX$25.15

$0.43 ¥2.94

237.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.55

$0.29 ¥2.00

210.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.5

$0.94 ¥6.43

222.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.0

$2.14 ¥14.61

113.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.14

$1.87 ¥12.78

-22.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.64

$1.55 ¥10.59

18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.85

$0.89 ¥6.05

80.90%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.95

$1.55 ¥10.62

63.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$12.63 ¥86.2

-32.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$3.21 ¥21.93

163.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.36 ¥70.8

4.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.26

$1.83 ¥12.48

49.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.85

$1.24 ¥8.47

20.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.65

$1.49 ¥10.17

30.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.49

$1.10 ¥7.52

96.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.97

$0.75 ¥5.09

146.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.91

$0.97 ¥6.66

125.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.58

$0.56 ¥3.85

91.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$0.56 ¥3.79

92.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.3

$3.19 ¥21.81

27.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$181

$10.61 ¥72.5

-1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.64

$0.79 ¥5.37

108.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.13

$1.66 ¥11.36

53.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.29 ¥2.00

93.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$454

$16.40 ¥112

59.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.41 ¥9.62

122.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.08

$0.33 ¥2.25

618.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$6.81 ¥46.52

-52.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.76

$1.16 ¥7.94

12.93%

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

$30.5K MX$528.9K

$19.4K ¥132.5K

57.41%

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

$23.8K MX$412.6K

$17.1K ¥117.0K

39.07%

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

$83.1 MX$1,440

$44.59 ¥305

86.45%

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

$22.15 MX$384

$10.02 ¥68.4

121.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$509

$11.84 ¥80.8

148.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$887

$41.02 ¥280

24.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$13.79 ¥94.2

35.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.7

$6.07 ¥41.46

-19.44%

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

$199 MX$3,441

$334 ¥2,280

-40.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.2K

$16.8K ¥114.7K

-69.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$622

$43.51 ¥297

-17.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$682

$30.40 ¥208

29.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,391

$71.1 ¥486

12.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,517

$71.7 ¥490

22.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$273 ¥1,867

252.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,350

$191 ¥1,304

152.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.5K

$589 ¥4,020

179.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.6K

$364 ¥2,483

227.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.5K

$2,997 ¥20.5K

32.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$112.8K

$2,036 ¥13.9K

219.92%

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 Datong: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $273 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $21 in Datong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $199 per month, with Datong 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 Datong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Datong wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Datong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,894 in Playa del Carmen and $1,067 in Datong 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 $273 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 in Playa del Carmen versus $334 in Datong. 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 $711 in Datong versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Datong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Datong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $711 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Datong hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Datong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.