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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,097 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,856 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,615 in Hua-lien.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 15% more expensive than in Hua-lien, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Hua-lien 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.16 NT$132

178.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$28.51 NT$907

65.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.23 NT$135

180.85%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.84 NT$90.4

40.14%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.94 NT$29.92

52.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.55 NT$17.42

49.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.38 NT$43.98

131.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.10 NT$67.0

223.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.82 NT$89.8

-40.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.68 NT$53.4

30.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$4.55 NT$145

-62.42%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.90 NT$60.5

44.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$19.71 NT$627

-51.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.33 NT$201

42.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$25.80 NT$821

-50.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.69 NT$85.6

7.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.60 NT$82.7

-42.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$3.28 NT$104

-34.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$3.20 NT$102

-29.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.34 NT$74.4

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.45 NT$77.9

-18.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$2.02 NT$64.2

-39.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.91 NT$29.12

31.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.87 NT$123

17.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$12.61 NT$401

-17.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.98 NT$63.1

-18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.36 NT$75.0

22.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.61 NT$19.34

-1.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$35.79 NT$1,139

-19.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$3.24 NT$103

66.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.31 NT$9.86

1103.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$10.36 NT$330

-44.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.89 NT$28.23

73.03%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$33.3K NT$1.1M

-32.35%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$27.3K NT$870.2K

-4.68%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$102 NT$3,232

-9.99%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$19.68 NT$626

28.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$12.85 NT$409

143.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$36.75 NT$1,170

82.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$10.10 NT$322

-51.88%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$754 NT$24.0K

-70.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$16.9K NT$538.2K

-74.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$58.8 NT$1,872

-19.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$35.99 NT$1,146

23.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$80.9 NT$2,575

-0.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$106 NT$3,362

-12.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$417 NT$13.3K

155.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$253 NT$8,045

54.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$983 NT$31.3K

118.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$755 NT$24.0K

68.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$7,481 NT$238.1K

-46.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$5,013 NT$159.6K

29.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$2,942 NT$93.7K

-74.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.13

437.56%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $417 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 288% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $368, 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 15% 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, salaries run 288% lower in Hua-lien. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $417 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 33% 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 $29.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,097 in Hua-lien versus $1,266 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 $1,097 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 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.