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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $680 in Jiaozuo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,085 in Jiaozuo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,490 in Jiaozuo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 91% more expensive than Jiaozuo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Jiaozuo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$1.71 ¥11.59

585.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$728

$20.95 ¥142

98.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$5.68 ¥38.43

87.32%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.6

$2.72 ¥18.40

29.41%

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

$1.51 MX$26.42

$0.39 ¥2.62

287.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.03

$0.36 ¥2.41

169.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$0.79 ¥5.37

273.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.9

$2.12 ¥14.34

109.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.20

$1.51 ¥10.22

-8.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.10

$1.49 ¥10.07

26.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.65

$0.65 ¥4.39

152.31%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.84

$1.02 ¥6.91

146.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$12.96 ¥87.7

-35.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$2.26 ¥15.26

269.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$188

$7.55 ¥51.1

42.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.56

$1.73 ¥11.71

50.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.50

$1.26 ¥8.50

15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.26

$0.58 ¥3.91

227.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.53 ¥3.61

292.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.07

$0.67 ¥4.52

165.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.23

$0.40 ¥2.72

447.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.20

$0.35 ¥2.36

197.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.01 ¥6.85

6.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.4

$2.41 ¥16.31

69.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$181

$9.55 ¥64.6

8.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.96

$0.66 ¥4.46

159.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.06

$2.90 ¥19.63

-11.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.92

$0.27 ¥1.80

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$463

$17.02 ¥115

55.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.1

$1.79 ¥12.12

82.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.59

$0.33 ¥2.23

654.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.8

$6.54 ¥44.22

-50.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$0.86 ¥5.79

52.33%

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

$30.3K MX$529.8K

$19.6K ¥132.5K

54.61%

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

$23.4K MX$410.0K

$17.0K ¥115.2K

37.55%

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

$82.9 MX$1,450

$46.09 ¥312

79.80%

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

$22.22 MX$389

$11.68 ¥79.0

90.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$513

$11.61 ¥78.5

152.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$903

$53.5 ¥362

-3.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$321

$13.67 ¥92.5

34.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.6

$3.62 ¥24.48

40.06%

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

$201 MX$3,514

$168 ¥1,139

19.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.2K

$17.1K ¥115.7K

-69.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$646

$44.08 ¥298

-16.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$696

$30.48 ¥206

30.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,373

$71.2 ¥482

10.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,524

$73.9 ¥500

17.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$274 ¥1,851

255.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,184

$189 ¥1,279

147.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$603 ¥4,082

172.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.4K

$356 ¥2,408

242.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$69.0K

$2,544 ¥17.2K

55.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.7K

$1,967 ¥13.3K

230.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

$573 ¥3,874

15.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.01

127.94%

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 Jiaozuo: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $274 in Jiaozuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 16% 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 $21.00 in Jiaozuo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $175 per month, with Jiaozuo 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 Jiaozuo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiaozuo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 16% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $274 in Jiaozuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $168 in Jiaozuo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $680 in Jiaozuo versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jiaozuo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Jiaozuo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jiaozuo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Jiaozuo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.