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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $727 in Dongying.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,151 in Dongying.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,576 in Dongying.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 73% more expensive than in Dongying, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Dongying 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$2.75 ¥18.55

326.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$21.87 ¥148

91.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.01 ¥33.82

109.78%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$2.99 ¥20.20

20.07%

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

$1.51 MX$26.14

$0.43 ¥2.91

251.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$0.29 ¥1.98

217.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$0.88 ¥5.96

236.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$2.05 ¥13.81

115.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$1.78 ¥11.98

-21.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$1.54 ¥10.39

22.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$0.96 ¥6.45

62.50%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.21

$1.55 ¥10.42

68.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$12.88 ¥86.9

-35.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.21 ¥21.68

160.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.38 ¥70.0

4.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$1.81 ¥12.21

49.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$1.20 ¥8.06

25.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$1.55 ¥10.43

20.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.95

$1.13 ¥7.63

93.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.19

$0.75 ¥5.08

148.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.65

$0.92 ¥6.19

142.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$0.59 ¥4.01

81.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.51 ¥3.45

113.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$3.22 ¥21.73

30.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$10.40 ¥70.1

0.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$0.74 ¥5.01

124.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$1.58 ¥10.67

65.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.29 ¥1.98

86.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$16.82 ¥113

55.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.42 ¥9.60

116.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.67

$0.32 ¥2.18

650.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$6.53 ¥44.05

-52.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.13 ¥7.63

15.93%

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

$29.8K MX$516.5K

$19.7K ¥133.0K

51.16%

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

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$17.5K ¥117.8K

33.57%

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

$81.3 MX$1,408

$45.70 ¥308

77.86%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$10.01 ¥67.5

125.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$11.64 ¥78.5

158.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

$41.24 ¥278

28.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$14.20 ¥95.8

29.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.3

$5.78 ¥39.00

-14.88%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$339 ¥2,289

-40.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$17.2K ¥115.7K

-69.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$44.47 ¥300

-19.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$30.66 ¥207

30.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$71.6 ¥483

11.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$73.1 ¥493

18.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$275 ¥1,856

255.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,153

$194 ¥1,310

142.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$602 ¥4,063

174.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$359 ¥2,419

235.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

$2,996 ¥20.2K

31.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

$2,030 ¥13.7K

225.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Dongying: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $275 in Dongying. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Dongying for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $197 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 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,090 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 in Dongying. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $339 in Dongying. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $727 in Dongying versus $1,260 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 73% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.