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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $594 in Guizhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $956 in Guizhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,318 in Guizhou.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 113% more expensive than in Guizhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Guizhou 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.66 ¥17.82

336.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$20.93 ¥140

125.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.79 ¥38.80

105.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.90 ¥19.46

37.24%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.46 ¥3.11

210.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.27 ¥1.81

203.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$0.73 ¥4.88

336.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.85 ¥12.36

267.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.88 ¥12.62

-10.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.76 ¥11.81

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.74 ¥4.98

131.08%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.93 ¥12.91

41.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.39 ¥49.47

29.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.76 ¥31.91

89.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.64 ¥71.3

20.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.08 ¥13.94

38.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.62 ¥10.84

-7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.53 ¥10.24

40.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.43 ¥9.57

58.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.67 ¥4.47

195.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.70 ¥4.72

184.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.39 ¥2.59

215.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.58 ¥3.89

106.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.93 ¥19.66

55.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.48 ¥50.1

38.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$0.80 ¥5.35

102.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.22 ¥8.18

136.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.38 ¥2.55

57.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$26.48 ¥177

8.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.47 ¥9.86

266.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.31 ¥2.09

1103.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$5.02 ¥33.64

14.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.27 ¥8.49

21.26%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$18.6K ¥124.4K

21.44%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$15.7K ¥105.2K

65.90%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$28.54 ¥191

220.18%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$6.41 ¥42.93

293.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$6.08 ¥40.69

413.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$22.30 ¥149

201.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$11.76 ¥78.7

147.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.42 ¥49.72

-34.50%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$246 ¥1,651

-9.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$11.3K ¥76.0K

-62.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$33.81 ¥226

39.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$22.37 ¥150

97.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$74.2 ¥497

7.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$41.63 ¥279

122.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$269 ¥1,800

295.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$136 ¥911

186.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$374 ¥2,504

474.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$244 ¥1,637

420.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,828 ¥12.2K

118.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,090 ¥7,302

496.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$675 ¥4,520

12.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.4

236.76%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Guizhou: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $269 in Guizhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Guizhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $192 per month, with Guizhou 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 Guizhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guizhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $269 in Guizhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Guizhou runs roughly 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $246 in Guizhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $594 in Guizhou versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Guizhou but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Guizhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Guizhou 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Guizhou are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Guizhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.