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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $718 in Datong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,141 in Datong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,564 in Datong.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 81% more expensive than Datong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Datong 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$2.84 ¥19.25

313.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$21.18 ¥144

96.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$4.73 ¥32.08

124.95%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$2.97 ¥20.13

18.52%

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

$1.51 MX$26.38

$0.46 ¥3.13

228.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.01

$0.29 ¥1.98

234.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$0.88 ¥5.96

235.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$2.07 ¥14.01

114.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.17

$1.86 ¥12.60

-25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.54 ¥10.44

22.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.60

$0.89 ¥6.02

84.27%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.77

$1.53 ¥10.39

64.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$12.70 ¥86.1

-34.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$3.10 ¥21.03

169.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$10.35 ¥70.2

3.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.49

$1.86 ¥12.59

39.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.26 ¥8.56

15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.20

$1.48 ¥10.06

28.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.27

$1.10 ¥7.45

89.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.02

$0.70 ¥4.75

154.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.17

$0.95 ¥6.42

130.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.17

$0.61 ¥4.12

70.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.51 ¥3.45

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$3.09 ¥20.94

32.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$10.74 ¥72.9

-3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.91

$0.76 ¥5.14

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.99

$1.61 ¥10.90

60.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.29 ¥1.97

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$16.99 ¥115

55.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$1.35 ¥9.18

141.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.52

$0.35 ¥2.38

611.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$6.54 ¥44.39

-50.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.84

$1.18 ¥8.00

11.02%

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

$30.3K MX$528.9K

$19.4K ¥131.4K

56.25%

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

$23.4K MX$409.3K

$16.9K ¥114.8K

38.49%

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

$82.9 MX$1,448

$45.90 ¥311

80.54%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$9.91 ¥67.2

124.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$513

$11.87 ¥80.5

147.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$41.85 ¥284

23.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$13.71 ¥93.0

33.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$6.09 ¥41.27

-16.75%

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

$201 MX$3,508

$328 ¥2,223

-38.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

-69.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$44.31 ¥301

-16.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$30.17 ¥205

31.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$72.2 ¥490

8.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$71.2 ¥483

22.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$281 ¥1,907

245.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,171

$196 ¥1,332

138.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$593 ¥4,025

176.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$359 ¥2,437

239.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$3,073 ¥20.8K

28.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$2,047 ¥13.9K

217.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Datong: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $281 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Datong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 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 81% 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 $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,077 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $281 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 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 26% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $718 in Datong versus $1,297 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 $718 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 81% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.