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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $735 in Foshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,180 in Foshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,625 in Foshan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 71% more expensive than in Foshan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Foshan 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.11 ¥21.00

285.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$22.61 ¥153

84.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.94 ¥33.37

117.61%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.10 ¥20.97

12.90%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.50 ¥3.35

190.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.30 ¥2.05

193.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.09 ¥7.37

170.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.64 ¥11.09

175.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.74 ¥11.78

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$2.02 ¥13.68

-8.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.24 ¥8.38

26.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.88 ¥12.67

33.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$13.04 ¥88.1

-36.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.06 ¥27.40

107.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$13.55 ¥91.6

-21.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.82 ¥12.31

43.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.22 ¥8.21

18.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.74 ¥11.77

12.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.39 ¥9.40

50.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.01 ¥6.81

83.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.06 ¥7.15

104.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.74 ¥4.99

39.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.56 ¥3.79

91.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.38 ¥22.82

21.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$10.34 ¥69.9

-1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.97 ¥6.58

73.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.43 ¥9.69

76.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.29 ¥1.98

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$11.21 ¥75.7

132.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.69 ¥11.42

91.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.37 ¥2.53

551.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$6.67 ¥45.06

-51.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.17 ¥7.92

12.82%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$20.9K ¥141.0K

42.31%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$19.7K ¥133.1K

20.15%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$65.4 ¥442

25.36%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$10.19 ¥68.8

125.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$13.17 ¥89.0

128.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$67.9 ¥459

-23.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$19.83 ¥134

-6.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.39 ¥43.20

-22.07%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$415 ¥2,802

-52.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$18.4K ¥124.6K

-71.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$43.07 ¥291

-17.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$28.15 ¥190

43.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$70.0 ¥473

12.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$78.8 ¥533

12.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$281 ¥1,896

237.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$141 ¥956

235.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$572 ¥3,866

187.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$309 ¥2,090

291.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$4,243 ¥28.7K

-4.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,850 ¥12.5K

249.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$811 ¥5,478

-19.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.04

182.67%

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 Foshan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $281 in Foshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Foshan pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Foshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $224 per month, with Foshan 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 Foshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Foshan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $281 in Foshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Foshan runs roughly 132% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $415 in Foshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $735 in Foshan versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foshan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Foshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foshan 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 Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.