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: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $681 in Jiaozuo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,083 in Jiaozuo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,485 in Jiaozuo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 85% more expensive than Jiaozuo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Jiaozuo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$1.77 ¥12.12

555.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$740

$20.72 ¥141

106.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$5.51 ¥37.61

92.38%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.2

$2.63 ¥17.93

36.50%

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

$1.45 MX$25.15

$0.41 ¥2.82

253.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.55

$0.36 ¥2.44

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.5

$0.80 ¥5.43

278.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.0

$2.14 ¥14.62

113.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.14

$1.57 ¥10.73

-7.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.64

$1.43 ¥9.76

27.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.85

$0.61 ¥4.20

163.93%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.95

$0.97 ¥6.66

161.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$12.82 ¥87.6

-33.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$2.24 ¥15.30

278.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.58 ¥51.8

43.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.26

$1.77 ¥12.10

54.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.85

$1.22 ¥8.32

22.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.65

$0.53 ¥3.64

266.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.49

$0.54 ¥3.66

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.97

$0.72 ¥4.92

156.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.91

$0.41 ¥2.78

434.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.58

$0.37 ¥2.55

189.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$0.99 ¥6.73

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.3

$2.37 ¥16.20

71.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$181

$9.47 ¥64.7

10.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.64

$0.66 ¥4.49

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.13

$2.93 ¥20.04

-12.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.27 ¥1.83

107.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$454

$16.57 ¥113

58.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.70 ¥11.64

84.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.08

$0.33 ¥2.24

618.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$6.87 ¥46.96

-52.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.76

$0.84 ¥5.71

55.95%

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

$30.5K MX$528.9K

$19.3K ¥131.9K

58.10%

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

$23.8K MX$412.6K

$16.5K ¥112.5K

44.65%

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

$83.1 MX$1,440

$45.09 ¥308

84.39%

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

$22.15 MX$384

$11.56 ¥79.0

91.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$509

$11.59 ¥79.2

153.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$887

$52.3 ¥357

-2.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$13.85 ¥94.6

34.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.7

$3.76 ¥25.71

30.05%

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

$199 MX$3,441

$168 ¥1,145

18.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.2K

$16.9K ¥115.7K

-69.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$622

$43.43 ¥297

-17.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$682

$30.27 ¥207

30.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,391

$72.8 ¥497

10.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,517

$74.0 ¥505

18.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$281 ¥1,922

242.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,350

$187 ¥1,280

157.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.5K

$584 ¥3,990

181.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.6K

$367 ¥2,503

225.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.5K

$2,489 ¥17.0K

59.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$112.8K

$2,010 ¥13.7K

224.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$546 ¥3,729

33.05%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Jiaozuo: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $281 in Jiaozuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 33% 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: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $21 in Jiaozuo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $174 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 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 33% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $281 in Jiaozuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 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 45% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $681 in Jiaozuo versus $1,262 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 85% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.