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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $752 in Dongguan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,177 in Dongguan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,602 in Dongguan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 67% more expensive than in Dongguan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Dongguan 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.47 ¥16.70

385.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$20.71 ¥140

101.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.37 ¥29.54

146.00%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.61 ¥17.65

34.10%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.42 ¥2.83

245.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.27 ¥1.80

225.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.12 ¥7.56

163.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.18 ¥14.74

106.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.68 ¥11.37

-14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.47 ¥9.95

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.97 ¥6.55

61.86%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.79 ¥12.13

40.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$12.82 ¥86.6

-35.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.01 ¥27.08

110.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$11.29 ¥76.3

-5.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.88 ¥12.72

38.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.42 ¥9.57

1.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.82 ¥12.30

7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.35 ¥9.09

54.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.96 ¥6.46

92.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.45 ¥9.77

49.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.62 ¥4.20

66.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.60 ¥4.02

78.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.85 ¥19.27

43.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$14.93 ¥101

-31.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.95 ¥6.40

76.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.90 ¥12.86

33.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.27 ¥1.80

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$21.26 ¥144

22.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.22 ¥8.27

164.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.34 ¥2.31

608.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.43 ¥36.70

-40.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.18 ¥7.98

11.86%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$21.2K ¥143.2K

40.13%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$20.7K ¥139.9K

14.28%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$62.5 ¥422

31.28%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$8.57 ¥57.9

167.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$12.21 ¥82.5

146.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$59.8 ¥404

-13.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.34 ¥90.2

38.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.11 ¥48.02

-29.96%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$451 ¥3,046

-56.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$20.5K ¥138.6K

-73.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$29.95 ¥202

18.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$24.56 ¥166

64.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$61.6 ¥416

27.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$37.54 ¥254

136.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$355 ¥2,399

166.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$214 ¥1,447

121.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$679 ¥4,585

142.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$412 ¥2,787

193.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$5,717 ¥38.6K

-29.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$3,004 ¥20.3K

115.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$846 ¥5,716

-22.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.04

182.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Dongguan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $355 in Dongguan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dongguan pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Dongguan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $221 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $355 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 22% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $451 in Dongguan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $752 in Dongguan versus $1,256 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 67% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.