Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Douliu

For one person, living is cheaper in Douliu: $1,138 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Playa del Carmen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Douliu
Learn more

Douliu Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Douliu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Douliu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Douliu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,138 in Douliu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Douliu $1,138

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,894 in Douliu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Douliu $1,894

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,650 in Douliu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Douliu $2,650

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Douliu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Douliu 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$3.85 NT$125

179.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$22.40 NT$726

92.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$5.81 NT$189

102.93%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$3.40 NT$110

13.82%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$0.94 NT$30.58

45.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.67 NT$21.86

25.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$2.79 NT$90.4

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$3.73 NT$121

35.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$3.09 NT$100

-53.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$2.01 NT$65.1

10.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$3.17 NT$103

-53.63%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$2.76 NT$89.4

-8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$19.44 NT$631

-62.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$9.97 NT$323

-21.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$21.44 NT$695

-40.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$4.79 NT$155

-39.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$3.29 NT$107

-56.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$3.08 NT$99.9

-17.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$4.34 NT$141

-52.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$2.82 NT$91.3

-29.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$2.34 NT$75.9

-14.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$1.71 NT$55.6

-30.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$1.10 NT$35.65

14.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$3.85 NT$125

14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$14.46 NT$469

-33.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$1.63 NT$52.9

-2.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$2.31 NT$75.0

21.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.61 NT$19.89

-6.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$35.53 NT$1,152

-21.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$2.66 NT$86.3

87.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.77 NT$24.82

354.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$9.46 NT$307

-42.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.03 NT$33.56

42.72%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$34.0K NT$1.1M

-38.26%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$24.0K NT$777.6K

-0.31%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$86.6 NT$2,807

-2.70%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$17.15 NT$556

39.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$27.79 NT$901

4.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$36.37 NT$1,179

73.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$9.54 NT$309

-48.22%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$663 NT$21.5K

-69.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$17.0K NT$550.7K

-76.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$64.5 NT$2,091

-32.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$40.75 NT$1,321

5.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$85.0 NT$2,756

-10.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$105 NT$3,408

-15.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$404 NT$13.1K

149.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$257 NT$8,334

45.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$982 NT$31.8K

74.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$730 NT$23.7K

51.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$7,836 NT$254.1K

-49.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$4,924 NT$159.7K

25.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$2,544 NT$82.5K

-70.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.4

377.08%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Douliu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Douliu

$257 22.6% 31.3% $117

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Douliu

$400 35.1% 54.7% $141

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Douliu

$117 10.3% 42.2% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Douliu

$132 11.6% 4.2% $5.7

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Douliu

$133 11.7% 17.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Douliu

$55 4.9% 23.9% $17

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Douliu

$44 3.9% 15.4% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $404 in Douliu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 237% higher in Douliu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Douliu. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Playa del Carmen vs $400 in Douliu – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇼 Douliu

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

09:03 9:03 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

108,401

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Douliu 14,250 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Douliu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Douliu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,707 in Douliu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Douliu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $22.00 in Douliu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $1,138 in Douliu. That's a gap of about 6%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Douliu, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Douliu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Douliu costs $1,138 versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Douliu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.