Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gongzhuling

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongzhuling: $597 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Gongzhuling
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Gongzhuling Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Gongzhuling

🇨🇳 China

$597

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Gongzhuling actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $597 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Gongzhuling $597

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $950 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Gongzhuling $950

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,303 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Gongzhuling $1,303

Playa del Carmen costs about 102% more than Gongzhuling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Gongzhuling are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Gongzhuling 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$2.11 ¥14.03

417.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$805

$16.64 ¥111

160.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$4.58 ¥30.45

157.21%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$70.7

$1.91 ¥12.69

99.48%

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

$1.28 MX$23.81

$0.44 ¥2.91

190.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.54

$0.21 ¥1.39

271.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$58.8

$0.78 ¥5.16

306.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.7

$1.69 ¥11.23

191.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.12

$1.37 ¥9.08

2.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.17

$2.23 ¥14.85

-0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.32

$1.04 ¥6.90

36.54%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$46.85

$1.07 ¥7.08

135.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$7.33 ¥48.75

-0.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$3.76 ¥25.02

104.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$9.10 ¥60.5

39.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.7

$0.58 ¥3.84

379.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.41

$0.70 ¥4.65

95.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.37

$0.54 ¥3.56

372.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.43

$0.47 ¥3.09

351.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.00

$0.46 ¥3.08

321.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.02

$0.50 ¥3.30

278.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.29

$0.44 ¥2.92

161.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.89

$0.62 ¥4.09

90.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$79.8

$3.69 ¥24.51

16.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$10.68 ¥71.0

-6.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.41

$0.64 ¥4.28

146.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.60

$1.10 ¥7.31

142.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.28

$0.31 ¥2.09

77.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$494

$17.64 ¥117

50.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.3

$1.14 ¥7.58

335.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$61.9

$0.39 ¥2.58

753.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.5

$2.67 ¥17.72

100.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.82

$1.30 ¥8.64

10.77%

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

$20.7K MX$383.8K

$19.7K ¥130.9K

4.97%

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

$23.5K MX$435.8K

$16.2K ¥107.7K

44.89%

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

$84.8 MX$1,575

$28.94 ¥192

192.99%

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

$23.41 MX$435

$6.08 ¥40.40

285.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$532

$10.71 ¥71.2

167.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,059

$41.11 ¥273

38.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$537

$14.70 ¥97.7

96.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.4

$5.11 ¥33.94

0.59%

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

$207 MX$3,836

$407 ¥2,703

-49.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$72.9K

$11.7K ¥77.8K

-66.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$805

$16.02 ¥107

170.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$770

$22.62 ¥150

83.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,378

$60.1 ¥400

23.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,657

$45.02 ¥299

98.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$289 ¥1,919

239.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,072

$187 ¥1,246

103.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.7K

$599 ¥3,985

184.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$373 ¥2,480

188.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.2K

$3,257 ¥21.6K

21.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.4K

$1,971 ¥13.1K

212.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.6K

$346 ¥2,301

112.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.5

227.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gongzhuling: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Gongzhuling

$187 31.4% 50.8% $193

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Gongzhuling

$162 27.2% 36.3% $92

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Gongzhuling

$63 10.6% 68.7% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Gongzhuling

$46 7.7% 66.6% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Gongzhuling

$65 10.8% 42.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Gongzhuling

$51 8.6% 23.8% $16

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Gongzhuling

$22 3.7% 56.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $289 in Gongzhuling. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $17 in Gongzhuling. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $162 – making Gongzhuling the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇳 Gongzhuling

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

18:17 6:17 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

862,313

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.44 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Gongzhuling 12,150 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Gongzhuling

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 Gongzhuling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $895 in Gongzhuling. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gongzhuling, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $289 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $407 in Gongzhuling. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Gongzhuling, where all-in costs run around $597, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Gongzhuling it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $597 in Gongzhuling to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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