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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $697 in Jiaozuo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,083 in Jiaozuo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,469 in Jiaozuo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 81% more expensive than in Jiaozuo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Jiaozuo 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$1.70 ¥11.48

602.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$20.62 ¥139

103.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$5.59 ¥37.82

86.40%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$2.62 ¥17.72

33.97%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$0.38 ¥2.59

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.85

$0.35 ¥2.40

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$0.79 ¥5.33

284.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$2.15 ¥14.55

103.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$1.57 ¥10.59

-9.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$1.49 ¥10.07

22.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$0.66 ¥4.44

146.97%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$1.02 ¥6.93

149.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$12.98 ¥87.8

-33.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$2.33 ¥15.79

264.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$7.73 ¥52.3

39.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.73 ¥11.68

58.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.22 ¥8.24

18.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.84

$0.58 ¥3.92

225.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$0.54 ¥3.65

301.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$0.73 ¥4.93

143.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$0.43 ¥2.92

416.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$0.37 ¥2.53

189.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$1.01 ¥6.85

6.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$2.39 ¥16.15

73.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$9.88 ¥66.9

5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$0.64 ¥4.34

171.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.93

$2.92 ¥19.73

-11.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.29 ¥1.99

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$16.73 ¥113

55.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$1.78 ¥12.02

80.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$0.33 ¥2.21

657.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$6.56 ¥44.39

-51.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$0.85 ¥5.74

48.24%

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

$29.7K MX$516.7K

$19.2K ¥130.0K

54.50%

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

$23.7K MX$412.2K

$16.6K ¥112.5K

42.44%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$45.05 ¥305

82.09%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$11.72 ¥79.3

93.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$11.58 ¥78.4

154.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$54.1 ¥366

-3.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$14.03 ¥94.9

31.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$3.67 ¥24.86

34.33%

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

$202 MX$3,512

$164 ¥1,109

23.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$16.9K ¥114.2K

-69.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$44.01 ¥298

-18.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$30.64 ¥207

31.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$71.5 ¥484

11.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$73.8 ¥499

21.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$280 ¥1,897

238.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,098

$188 ¥1,270

147.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$603 ¥4,076

170.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$366 ¥2,479

225.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.5K

$2,526 ¥17.1K

55.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$1,915 ¥13.0K

235.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$563 ¥3,806

17.01%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Jiaozuo: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $280 in Jiaozuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 17% 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 $252 vs $178 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 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% 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 $280 in Jiaozuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $164 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 $697 in Jiaozuo versus $1,259 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 81% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.