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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $708 in Datong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,132 in Datong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,556 in Datong.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 79% more expensive than in Datong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Datong 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.71 ¥18.14

328.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$21.85 ¥146

115.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.88 ¥32.66

143.44%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.09 ¥20.64

28.80%

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

$1.43 MX$24.58

$0.44 ¥2.91

225.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.29 ¥1.96

182.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$0.93 ¥6.21

243.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.15 ¥14.37

215.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.86

$1.85 ¥12.35

-9.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.84

$1.55 ¥10.35

41.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.42

$0.97 ¥6.50

76.29%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.21

$1.60 ¥10.67

71.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$12.86 ¥86.0

-25.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.15 ¥21.05

186.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.23 ¥68.4

25.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.75

$1.86 ¥12.47

55.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.79

$1.22 ¥8.13

22.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.00

$1.49 ¥9.95

44.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.92

$1.11 ¥7.40

103.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.11

$0.70 ¥4.71

182.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.27

$0.89 ¥5.97

123.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.26

$0.60 ¥4.01

105.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.61

$0.56 ¥3.72

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.4

$3.19 ¥21.30

42.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$10.37 ¥69.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$0.74 ¥4.93

118.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.61

$1.65 ¥11.03

74.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.27 ¥1.79

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$16.76 ¥112

71.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.35 ¥9.03

299.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.35 ¥2.37

965.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.4

$6.81 ¥45.56

-15.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.46

$1.13 ¥7.58

36.28%

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

$22.5K MX$388.4K

$19.1K ¥127.5K

18.25%

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

$26.1K MX$448.8K

$17.4K ¥116.5K

49.54%

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

$91.4 MX$1,574

$44.57 ¥298

105.03%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$9.85 ¥65.9

155.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$11.95 ¥79.9

161.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,158

$41.40 ¥277

62.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$13.65 ¥91.3

113.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.91 ¥39.51

-17.77%

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

$224 MX$3,852

$328 ¥2,192

-31.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$16.7K ¥111.9K

-74.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$43.16 ¥289

9.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$30.67 ¥205

44.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,380

$73.2 ¥489

9.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$72.2 ¥483

28.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$282 ¥1,887

276.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,721

$191 ¥1,277

104.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$598 ¥3,997

259.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$355 ¥2,376

258.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,973 ¥19.9K

34.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,998 ¥13.4K

225.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.89

194.34%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Datong: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $282 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Datong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $198 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 79% 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 $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,062 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $282 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $328 in Datong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Datong versus $1,266 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 $708 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 79% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.