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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,178 in Douliu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,970 in Douliu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,762 in Douliu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 10% more than Douliu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Douliu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Douliu 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.06 NT$128

188.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$23.60 NT$743

76.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.80 NT$183

83.45%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.76 NT$118

-6.38%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.18 NT$37.06

27.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.73 NT$22.87

32.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$3.42 NT$108

-13.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.42 NT$108

30.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$3.15 NT$99.2

-56.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.98 NT$62.3

-4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$3.03 NT$95.5

-45.87%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.95 NT$92.7

-14.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$20.24 NT$637

-58.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.96 NT$313

-16.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$20.40 NT$642

-47.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$5.25 NT$165

-50.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$2.84 NT$89.5

-48.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.85 NT$89.6

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$4.16 NT$131

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.80 NT$88.0

-36.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.24 NT$70.5

-2.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.88 NT$59.3

-44.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.37 NT$43.17

-21.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.03 NT$127

1.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$14.52 NT$457

-28.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.82 NT$57.3

-6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.39 NT$75.4

7.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.88 NT$27.78

-42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$39.46 NT$1,242

-32.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.84 NT$89.5

14.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.78 NT$24.63

219.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$10.03 NT$316

-67.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.07 NT$33.70

22.43%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$37.7K NT$1.2M

-19.58%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$27.2K NT$855.4K

-13.78%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$85.6 NT$2,695

-3.19%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$18.60 NT$585

19.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$25.43 NT$800

15.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$37.14 NT$1,169

39.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$15.22 NT$479

20.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$12.05 NT$379

-57.93%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$645 NT$20.3K

-68.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$18.8K NT$590.5K

-72.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$58.7 NT$1,848

-37.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$32.78 NT$1,032

21.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$92.7 NT$2,919

-15.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$124 NT$3,912

-29.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$431 NT$13.6K

125.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$288 NT$9,054

62.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,052 NT$33.1K

56.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$713 NT$22.4K

71.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$7,501 NT$236.1K

-47.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$5,325 NT$167.6K

22.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$2,632 NT$82.9K

-74.78%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Douliu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $431 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 296% 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 $24.00 in Douliu. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $402 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 10% 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,767 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 $24.00 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $1,178 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 $1,178, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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 $1,178 versus $1,297 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.