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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $805 in Dongguan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,260 in Dongguan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,716 in Dongguan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 61% more expensive than in Dongguan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Dongguan 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$2.17 ¥14.53

439.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$22.45 ¥150

107.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$5.17 ¥34.62

125.34%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$2.52 ¥16.87

62.30%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.51 ¥3.43

168.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.29 ¥1.93

186.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$0.89 ¥5.94

276.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.19 ¥14.70

215.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.55 ¥10.36

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$1.68 ¥11.28

34.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$0.95 ¥6.40

86.32%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$1.67 ¥11.18

63.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$20.69 ¥139

-55.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$3.59 ¥24.04

148.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$14.66 ¥98.2

-14.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.21 ¥14.78

36.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$1.59 ¥10.68

-1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$1.86 ¥12.44

14.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$1.42 ¥9.53

59.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$1.21 ¥8.12

65.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$1.47 ¥9.84

40.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.55 ¥3.68

114.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.54 ¥3.59

122.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$4.50 ¥30.14

2.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$12.28 ¥82.3

-12.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$0.91 ¥6.07

78.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$1.83 ¥12.23

57.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.38 ¥2.57

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$22.70 ¥152

31.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$1.21 ¥8.10

350.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.40 ¥2.69

825.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$4.59 ¥30.77

30.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.22 ¥8.19

27.05%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$19.5K ¥130.4K

14.72%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$18.2K ¥122.0K

42.53%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$63.1 ¥423

41.16%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$9.28 ¥62.2

169.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$12.74 ¥85.4

147.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$51.7 ¥347

31.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$16.26 ¥109

77.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$7.59 ¥50.9

-33.47%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$529 ¥3,542

-57.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$23.6K ¥157.9K

-82.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$31.53 ¥211

50.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$39.51 ¥265

13.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$69.1 ¥463

18.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$40.86 ¥274

125.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$374 ¥2,508

185.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$221 ¥1,479

83.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$656 ¥4,396

195.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$419 ¥2,809

210.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$5,558 ¥37.2K

-28.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$3,047 ¥20.4K

117.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$844 ¥5,656

-11.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.4

236.76%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Dongguan: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $374 in Dongguan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dongguan pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Dongguan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $250 per month, with Dongguan 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 Dongguan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongguan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Dongguan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $374 in Dongguan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dongguan runs roughly 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $529 in Dongguan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $805 in Dongguan versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongguan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Dongguan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dongguan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Dongguan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.