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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $702 in Dongying.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,132 in Dongying.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,562 in Dongying.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Dongying 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.73 ¥18.46

334.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$21.92 ¥148

95.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.86 ¥32.85

119.14%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.09 ¥20.93

11.65%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.43 ¥2.93

248.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.27 ¥1.81

251.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$0.89 ¥6.03

240.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.12 ¥14.31

117.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.86 ¥12.61

-25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.61 ¥10.89

14.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.98 ¥6.60

64.29%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.61 ¥10.88

60.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.96 ¥87.6

-36.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.15 ¥21.31

165.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.14 ¥68.5

5.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.81 ¥12.27

45.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.24 ¥8.40

20.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.46 ¥9.91

31.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.15 ¥7.80

81.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.76 ¥5.11

144.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.97 ¥6.57

132.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.60 ¥4.03

76.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.55 ¥3.71

98.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.04 ¥20.57

36.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.47 ¥70.8

-0.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.75 ¥5.05

129.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.60 ¥10.84

63.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.27 ¥1.80

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$16.52 ¥112

63.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.40 ¥9.50

123.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.32 ¥2.19

684.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.71 ¥45.35

-53.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.13 ¥7.63

12.39%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.1K ¥129.2K

59.02%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$17.0K ¥114.9K

38.75%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$45.89 ¥310

80.87%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.67 ¥65.4

134.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$11.55 ¥78.1

155.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$41.59 ¥281

22.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$14.07 ¥95.1

30.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.09 ¥41.21

-19.05%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$334 ¥2,258

-40.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$16.7K ¥112.7K

-68.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$43.40 ¥294

-14.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$30.69 ¥208

29.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$72.4 ¥490

10.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$72.3 ¥489

23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$273 ¥1,849

249.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$191 ¥1,289

150.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$587 ¥3,967

180.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$360 ¥2,432

240.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$3,060 ¥20.7K

28.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,008 ¥13.6K

221.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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 7, 2026

Last update for Dongying: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $273 in Dongying. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Dongying for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 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 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,053 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $273 in Dongying. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $334 in Dongying. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $702 in Dongying versus $1,271 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 81% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.