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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $675 in Hanzhong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,071 in Hanzhong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,467 in Hanzhong.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 86% more expensive than in Hanzhong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Hanzhong 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$2.75 ¥18.64

334.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$18.16 ¥123

130.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$5.28 ¥35.72

97.35%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$3.16 ¥21.36

11.08%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$0.40 ¥2.70

280.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.85

$0.24 ¥1.63

279.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$1.12 ¥7.58

171.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$1.78 ¥12.06

145.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$1.51 ¥10.21

-5.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$1.57 ¥10.60

16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$0.87 ¥5.88

87.36%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$1.68 ¥11.36

51.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$6.85 ¥46.36

25.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$1.98 ¥13.38

328.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$8.72 ¥59.0

23.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.65 ¥11.18

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.14 ¥7.69

26.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.84

$1.34 ¥9.04

41.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$0.75 ¥5.09

189.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$0.66 ¥4.47

169.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$0.60 ¥4.06

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$0.51 ¥3.42

109.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.53 ¥3.57

103.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$2.87 ¥19.40

44.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$7.45 ¥50.4

40.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$0.73 ¥4.94

138.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.93

$1.70 ¥11.49

51.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.29 ¥1.96

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$16.38 ¥111

58.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$1.35 ¥9.10

137.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$0.35 ¥2.39

614.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$4.14 ¥28.02

-22.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.11 ¥7.53

13.51%

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

$29.7K MX$516.7K

$21.2K ¥143.5K

39.96%

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

$23.7K MX$412.2K

$16.2K ¥109.4K

46.41%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$38.90 ¥263

110.87%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$5.68 ¥38.45

300.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$12.00 ¥81.2

145.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$41.90 ¥283

24.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$13.91 ¥94.1

32.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$4.85 ¥32.79

1.65%

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

$202 MX$3,512

$331 ¥2,239

-39.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$18.0K ¥121.8K

-71.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$55.8 ¥377

-35.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$37.58 ¥254

7.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$69.9 ¥473

14.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$71.9 ¥486

24.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$276 ¥1,867

243.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,098

$186 ¥1,257

150.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$596 ¥4,035

173.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$363 ¥2,455

228.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.5K

$2,715 ¥18.4K

44.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$1,930 ¥13.1K

233.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$577 ¥3,903

14.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.1

268.39%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Hanzhong: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $276 in Hanzhong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 14% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Hanzhong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $155 per month, with Hanzhong 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 Hanzhong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hanzhong wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hanzhong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $276 in Hanzhong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $331 in Hanzhong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $675 in Hanzhong versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hanzhong but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hanzhong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hanzhong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $675 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hanzhong hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Hanzhong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.