Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Handan

For one person, living is cheaper in Handan: $638 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Handan
Learn more

Handan Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Handan

🇨🇳 China

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $638 in Handan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Handan $638

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,053 in Handan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Handan $1,053

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,468 in Handan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Handan $1,468

Playa del Carmen costs about 90% more than Handan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Handan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Handan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$1.92 ¥12.81

460.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$18.14 ¥121

137.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$4.56 ¥30.51

158.55%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$2.56 ¥17.14

51.17%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$0.39 ¥2.63

251.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.21 ¥1.40

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$0.74 ¥4.94

318.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$1.48 ¥9.89

242.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$1.45 ¥9.67

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$0.78 ¥5.23

185.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$0.73 ¥4.89

101.37%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$0.97 ¥6.49

160.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$11.87 ¥79.3

-38.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$2.92 ¥19.50

169.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$11.03 ¥73.8

15.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$1.44 ¥9.64

101.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$0.58 ¥3.90

148.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$1.36 ¥9.08

87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$1.09 ¥7.32

88.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$0.29 ¥1.91

589.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$0.31 ¥2.08

548.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$0.53 ¥3.53

124.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.36 ¥2.39

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$3.71 ¥24.81

18.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$9.95 ¥66.5

-3.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$0.68 ¥4.54

133.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$1.36 ¥9.12

106.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.31 ¥2.08

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$17.97 ¥120

54.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$0.86 ¥5.75

479.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.25 ¥1.67

1300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$4.50 ¥30.08

20.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.32 ¥8.80

11.36%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$19.2K ¥128.7K

9.02%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$15.2K ¥101.7K

57.19%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$71.1 ¥475

18.44%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$4.35 ¥29.10

451.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$4.97 ¥33.26

483.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$41.70 ¥279

51.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$13.39 ¥89.6

117.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$4.37 ¥29.24

13.04%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$215 ¥1,439

-5.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$19.6K ¥131.3K

-79.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$29.42 ¥197

48.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$43.23 ¥289

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$44.86 ¥300

68.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$69.3 ¥463

27.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$337 ¥2,254

199.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$165 ¥1,105

126.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$625 ¥4,181

173.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$427 ¥2,857

158.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$3,556 ¥23.8K

10.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$1,875 ¥12.5K

229.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$656 ¥4,389

14.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

281.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Handan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Handan

$165 25.9% 55.8% $209

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Handan

$168 26.3% 35.1% $91

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Handan

$69 10.8% 66% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Handan

$80 12.6% 41.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Handan

$84 13.2% 25.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Handan

$50 7.9% 30.8% $22

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Handan

$21 3.3% 59.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $337 in Handan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 15% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $18.00 in Handan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $168 – making Handan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇳 Handan

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

03:37 3:37 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

9,413,990

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Handan 13,260 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Handan

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 Handan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $957 in Handan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Handan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $18.00 in Handan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $638 in Handan. That's a gap of about 90%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Handan, where all-in costs run around $638, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Handan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Handan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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