Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hua-lien Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hua-lien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,108 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,874 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,641 in Hua-lien.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 17% more expensive than Hua-lien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Hua-lien 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.05 NT$127

189.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$33.61 NT$1,058

23.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.51 NT$142

135.92%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.40 NT$107

3.53%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.97 NT$30.47

55.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.64 NT$20.19

51.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.31 NT$41.28

125.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.02 NT$63.5

120.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$3.26 NT$102

-57.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.79 NT$56.2

5.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$4.36 NT$137

-62.39%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.53 NT$79.5

-0.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$13.93 NT$439

-40.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.77 NT$150

74.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$16.15 NT$508

-33.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$4.38 NT$138

-40.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$2.49 NT$78.5

-41.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$4.16 NT$131

-54.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$3.87 NT$122

-46.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$4.59 NT$145

-61.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$4.03 NT$127

-45.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$2.56 NT$80.6

-59.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.35 NT$42.43

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$5.10 NT$160

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$14.09 NT$443

-26.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.13 NT$67.1

-19.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.78 NT$87.4

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.83 NT$26.25

-38.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$38.74 NT$1,220

-31.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.35 NT$106

-2.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.72 NT$22.75

245.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$12.74 NT$401

-74.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.02 NT$32.11

28.43%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$41.5K NT$1.3M

-27.02%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$29.6K NT$931.0K

-20.78%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$74.7 NT$2,352

10.89%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$33.24 NT$1,046

-33.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$25.19 NT$793

16.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$37.04 NT$1,166

39.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$15.45 NT$486

18.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$9.02 NT$284

-43.79%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$779 NT$24.5K

-74.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$15.5K NT$489.3K

-66.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$27.58 NT$868

33.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$46.63 NT$1,468

-14.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$70.3 NT$2,214

11.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$124 NT$3,908

-29.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$439 NT$13.8K

121.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$283 NT$8,904

65.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,021 NT$32.1K

60.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$741 NT$23.3K

64.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$2,890 NT$91.0K

-77.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

1.57

627.39%

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 Hua-lien: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $439 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 335% 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 $34.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $358, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Hua-lien earns 335% 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 $439 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 44% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,108 in Hua-lien versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hua-lien delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,108 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hua-lien hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.