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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $753 in Foshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,220 in Foshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,687 in Foshan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 72% more expensive than Foshan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Foshan 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.22 ¥21.80

264.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$22.60 ¥153

84.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.99 ¥33.76

113.23%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$3.16 ¥21.42

11.39%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.46 ¥3.10

228.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.28 ¥1.87

246.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.09 ¥7.38

170.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$1.65 ¥11.19

169.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.79 ¥12.14

-22.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.96 ¥13.24

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.22 ¥8.28

34.43%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.87 ¥12.66

34.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$13.00 ¥88.0

-35.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.86 ¥26.13

116.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$13.38 ¥90.6

-19.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.81 ¥12.25

43.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.27 ¥8.57

14.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.73 ¥11.70

9.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.40 ¥9.48

48.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.00 ¥6.79

78.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.05 ¥7.08

108.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.70 ¥4.71

48.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.61 ¥4.11

77.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.55 ¥24.06

14.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$10.24 ¥69.3

0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$0.96 ¥6.51

78.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.40 ¥9.48

84.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.27 ¥1.81

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$11.02 ¥74.6

140.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.71 ¥11.58

90.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.35 ¥2.35

611.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$6.93 ¥46.91

-53.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.17 ¥7.92

11.97%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$21.3K ¥144.1K

42.20%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$19.6K ¥132.4K

19.82%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$65.1 ¥441

27.24%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$10.20 ¥69.1

117.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$12.90 ¥87.3

127.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$66.9 ¥453

-22.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$20.34 ¥138

-9.93%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$6.22 ¥42.10

-18.49%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$415 ¥2,809

-51.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$18.2K ¥123.2K

-71.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$42.80 ¥290

-13.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$28.67 ¥194

38.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$70.5 ¥477

11.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$77.9 ¥527

11.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$280 ¥1,894

247.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$142 ¥958

230.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$580 ¥3,927

182.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$313 ¥2,119

290.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$4,353 ¥29.5K

-9.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,819 ¥12.3K

257.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$793 ¥5,367

-16.27%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Foshan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $280 in Foshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Foshan pays 19% 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 $222 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 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Foshan earns 19% less. 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 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 140% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 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 $753 in Foshan versus $1,297 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 72% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.