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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,193 in Douliu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,979 in Douliu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,766 in Douliu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 5% more than Douliu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Douliu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Douliu 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.96 NT$128

202.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$23.27 NT$751

79.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.68 NT$183

89.26%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.93 NT$127

-10.94%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.13 NT$36.37

28.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.75 NT$24.19

17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$3.37 NT$109

-12.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.30 NT$106

36.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$3.11 NT$100

-54.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.88 NT$60.8

-2.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$3.04 NT$98.2

-48.36%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.83 NT$91.2

-11.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$19.91 NT$643

-58.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$10.15 NT$327

-16.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$20.37 NT$657

-47.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$5.19 NT$168

-49.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.99 NT$96.6

-51.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.81 NT$90.6

-30.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$4.26 NT$137

-50.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$2.93 NT$94.6

-36.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.28 NT$73.7

-4.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.99 NT$64.2

-48.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.32 NT$42.63

-18.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.10 NT$132

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$13.87 NT$448

-26.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.73 NT$56.0

-2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.40 NT$77.3

5.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.84 NT$27.09

-39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$39.03 NT$1,260

-33.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.90 NT$93.5

11.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.79 NT$25.43

205.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$10.08 NT$325

-67.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.04 NT$33.52

26.92%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$38.1K NT$1.2M

-22.10%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$28.1K NT$906.5K

-15.75%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$84.5 NT$2,727

-2.95%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$18.83 NT$608

21.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$24.75 NT$799

21.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$36.63 NT$1,182

41.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$15.17 NT$490

22.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$11.96 NT$386

-58.36%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$643 NT$20.7K

-69.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$18.8K NT$607.7K

-71.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$59.0 NT$1,905

-39.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$33.23 NT$1,073

21.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$93.6 NT$3,020

-15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$120 NT$3,879

-26.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$429 NT$13.8K

120.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$292 NT$9,436

62.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,050 NT$33.9K

56.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$737 NT$23.8K

64.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$7,223 NT$233.1K

-43.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$4,904 NT$158.3K

31.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$2,578 NT$83.2K

-74.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

2.19

421.46%

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 Douliu: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $429 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 294% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Douliu. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $400 in Douliu – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 5% more than Douliu, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,789 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $23.00 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $1,193 in Douliu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Douliu, where all-in costs run around $1,193, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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 $1,193 versus $1,256 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.