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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $722 in Dongying.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,122 in Dongying.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,522 in Dongying.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 75% more expensive than in Dongying, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Dongying 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.72 ¥18.21

326.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$21.48 ¥144

119.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.77 ¥31.88

149.06%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.01 ¥20.11

32.23%

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

$1.43 MX$24.58

$0.43 ¥2.88

232.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.27 ¥1.80

203.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$0.94 ¥6.29

239.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.15 ¥14.39

215.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.86

$1.79 ¥11.94

-6.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.84

$1.60 ¥10.71

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.42

$0.97 ¥6.49

76.29%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.21

$1.60 ¥10.72

71.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$12.91 ¥86.4

-25.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.20 ¥21.41

181.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.25 ¥68.5

24.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.75

$1.80 ¥12.07

60.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.79

$1.20 ¥8.04

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.00

$1.47 ¥9.84

46.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.92

$1.14 ¥7.62

98.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.11

$0.76 ¥5.05

160.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.27

$0.97 ¥6.50

105.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.26

$0.57 ¥3.78

115.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.61

$0.51 ¥3.40

135.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.4

$3.17 ¥21.20

43.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$10.68 ¥71.4

-2.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$0.80 ¥5.35

102.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.61

$1.59 ¥10.63

81.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.29 ¥1.94

106.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$17.00 ¥114

69.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.42 ¥9.48

279.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.35 ¥2.34

965.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.4

$6.75 ¥45.16

-14.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.46

$1.14 ¥7.60

35.09%

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

$22.5K MX$388.4K

$19.3K ¥129.3K

16.62%

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

$26.1K MX$448.8K

$17.2K ¥114.8K

51.79%

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

$9.78 ¥65.4

157.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$11.95 ¥79.9

161.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,158

$41.34 ¥276

62.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$13.86 ¥92.7

110.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$6.08 ¥40.67

-20.07%

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

$224 MX$3,852

$338 ¥2,262

-33.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$17.2K ¥114.8K

-75.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$44.20 ¥296

6.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$30.61 ¥205

44.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,380

$72.1 ¥482

11.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$72.2 ¥483

28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$283 ¥1,895

275.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,721

$190 ¥1,272

105.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$583 ¥3,898

268.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$356 ¥2,382

257.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$3,001 ¥20.1K

33.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$2,039 ¥13.6K

218.87%

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 Dongying: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $283 in Dongying. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Dongying for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $199 per month, with Dongying 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 Dongying: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongying is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,083 in Dongying 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 $283 in Dongying. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $338 in Dongying. 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 $722 in Dongying versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongying but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Dongying the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dongying 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 Dongying gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.