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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $706 in Datong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,134 in Datong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,562 in Datong.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 78% more expensive than in 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

$11.95 MX$209

$2.75 ¥18.63

334.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$734

$21.95 ¥149

91.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$4.97 ¥33.66

109.66%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.5

$3.04 ¥20.55

15.46%

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

$1.52 MX$26.56

$0.46 ¥3.13

230.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.95

$0.29 ¥1.98

213.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.2

$0.94 ¥6.36

223.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.5

$2.05 ¥13.90

113.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.89

$1.80 ¥12.18

-21.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.07

$1.54 ¥10.42

18.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.63

$0.95 ¥6.42

71.58%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.48

$1.62 ¥10.93

56.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$12.70 ¥85.9

-32.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$149

$3.27 ¥22.11

159.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$10.14 ¥68.6

6.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.25

$1.89 ¥12.82

45.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.16

$1.22 ¥8.22

18.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.49 ¥10.11

26.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.01

$1.09 ¥7.39

99.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.17

$0.69 ¥4.66

157.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.96

$0.95 ¥6.45

133.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.72

$0.56 ¥3.81

91.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.91

$0.55 ¥3.71

96.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.6

$3.10 ¥20.98

33.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$10.41 ¥70.5

0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.53

$0.78 ¥5.29

123.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.21

$1.60 ¥10.83

61.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.99

$0.27 ¥1.83

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$454

$16.38 ¥111

58.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.2

$1.40 ¥9.48

129.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.83

$0.33 ¥2.22

657.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.8

$6.67 ¥45.12

-52.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$22.01

$1.12 ¥7.59

12.50%

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

$29.7K MX$520.0K

$19.5K ¥131.6K

52.61%

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

$23.7K MX$414.8K

$17.4K ¥117.7K

36.15%

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

$82.0 MX$1,437

$44.84 ¥303

82.94%

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

$22.73 MX$398

$9.82 ¥66.5

131.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$515

$11.92 ¥80.7

146.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$914

$42.43 ¥287

23.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$323

$13.90 ¥94.1

32.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.4

$5.99 ¥40.55

-17.70%

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

$202 MX$3,534

$339 ¥2,292

-40.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.4K

$16.8K ¥113.8K

-68.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$629

$44.62 ¥302

-19.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$706

$29.95 ¥203

34.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,399

$72.2 ¥488

10.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,564

$73.0 ¥494

22.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

$277 ¥1,875

242.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,150

$193 ¥1,308

140.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

$597 ¥4,041

172.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.9K

$360 ¥2,437

231.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.9K

$3,067 ¥20.8K

28.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.6K

$2,007 ¥13.6K

220.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Datong: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $277 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Datong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $197 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 78% 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 $1,888 in Playa del Carmen and $1,059 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $277 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $339 in Datong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $706 in Datong versus $1,259 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 $706 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 78% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.