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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $785 in Haikou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,194 in Haikou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,603 in Haikou.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 65% more expensive than Haikou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Haikou 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.44 ¥16.51

380.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$24.58 ¥166

69.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.06 ¥34.24

110.28%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.06 ¥20.71

15.03%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.46 ¥3.08

228.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.33 ¥2.26

193.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.36 ¥9.22

116.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.72 ¥25.18

19.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.79 ¥12.07

-22.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.37 ¥9.25

37.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.82 ¥5.54

100.00%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.86 ¥12.60

34.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$12.66 ¥85.6

-34.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.70 ¥38.57

46.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$15.45 ¥104

-30.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$0.81 ¥5.48

220.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.93 ¥6.26

56.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.43 ¥2.91

341.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.93 ¥6.29

123.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.78 ¥5.25

128.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.71 ¥4.83

208.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.29 ¥1.96

258.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.52 ¥3.53

107.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.00 ¥20.27

36.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$11.39 ¥77.0

-9.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.80 ¥5.42

113.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.65 ¥11.17

56.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.29 ¥1.96

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$16.58 ¥112

59.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.87 ¥19.40

13.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.36 ¥2.41

591.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.53 ¥44.17

-50.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.13 ¥7.61

15.93%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$20.4K ¥138.2K

48.18%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$16.2K ¥109.4K

44.85%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$33.79 ¥228

145.25%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$13.85 ¥93.6

60.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$8.11 ¥54.9

261.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$32.15 ¥217

60.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$5.80 ¥39.25

215.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.46 ¥36.92

-7.14%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$333 ¥2,251

-39.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$27.9K ¥188.6K

-81.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$41.58 ¥281

-11.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$41.71 ¥282

-4.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$42.57 ¥288

84.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$34.35 ¥232

153.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$343 ¥2,320

183.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$274 ¥1,855

70.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$533 ¥3,602

208.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$472 ¥3,191

158.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$3,212 ¥21.7K

22.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$2,147 ¥14.5K

202.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$717 ¥4,851

-7.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.85

135.46%

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 Haikou: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $343 in Haikou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haikou pays 8% 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 $25.00 in Haikou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $212 per month, with Haikou 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 Haikou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Haikou differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $785 including rent). Haikou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Haikou earns 8% 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 $343 in Haikou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $785 in Haikou – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Haikou runs roughly 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $785 in Haikou versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Haikou but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Haikou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Haikou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.