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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $767 in Heyuan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,200 in Heyuan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,634 in Heyuan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 69% more than Heyuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Heyuan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Heyuan 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$2.73 ¥18.45

329.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$15.02 ¥102

177.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$4.30 ¥29.11

147.44%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.4

$2.15 ¥14.53

63.72%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$0.36 ¥2.44

319.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.22 ¥1.49

340.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$0.72 ¥4.90

309.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$1.64 ¥11.11

171.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.93 ¥13.05

-28.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.03

$2.09 ¥14.14

-9.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$1.25 ¥8.48

31.20%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$1.53 ¥10.33

64.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$18.77 ¥127

-55.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$4.71 ¥31.84

77.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$14.21 ¥96.1

-24.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.47

$2.11 ¥14.26

23.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.26 ¥8.55

15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.94 ¥13.10

-2.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$1.43 ¥9.68

45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$0.88 ¥5.92

102.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$1.09 ¥7.35

100.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.51 ¥3.48

103.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.61 ¥4.10

77.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$3.88 ¥26.28

5.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$10.40 ¥70.4

-0.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$0.93 ¥6.28

83.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.97

$1.43 ¥9.70

80.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.27 ¥1.82

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$16.77 ¥113

57.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$1.63 ¥11.05

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.50

$0.38 ¥2.54

555.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$6.22 ¥42.11

-47.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.18 ¥7.99

11.02%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$21.2K ¥143.1K

43.14%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$19.4K ¥131.3K

20.70%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$59.8 ¥405

38.49%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$12.99 ¥87.9

71.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$11.78 ¥79.7

149.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$42.28 ¥286

22.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$13.69 ¥92.6

33.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$6.22 ¥42.08

-18.49%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$320 ¥2,165

-37.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$16.3K ¥110.0K

-67.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$41.68 ¥282

-11.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$27.93 ¥189

42.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$69.3 ¥469

13.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$60.5 ¥409

44.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$279 ¥1,888

248.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,168

$191 ¥1,291

145.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$586 ¥3,967

179.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$364 ¥2,464

235.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$3,117 ¥21.1K

26.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,629 ¥11.0K

298.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

$1,327 ¥8,978

-49.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.08

179.90%

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 Heyuan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $279 in Heyuan. 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 100% higher in Heyuan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Heyuan. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $249 in Heyuan – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Heyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, $767 in Heyuan – roughly 69% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,150 in Heyuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $15.00 in Heyuan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Heyuan, where all-in costs run around $767, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Heyuan 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 $767 in Heyuan to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Heyuan. 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.