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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $664 in Jieyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,063 in Jieyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,462 in Jieyang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 95% more expensive than in Jieyang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Jieyang 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$2.09 ¥14.02

460.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$12.51 ¥83.9

272.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$3.77 ¥25.29

209.02%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$2.51 ¥16.83

62.95%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$0.43 ¥2.90

218.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$0.34 ¥2.29

144.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$0.92 ¥6.19

264.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$1.81 ¥12.12

281.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.50 ¥10.06

15.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$2.28 ¥15.29

-0.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$0.97 ¥6.47

82.47%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$0.92 ¥6.15

196.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$11.77 ¥78.9

-22.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$2.45 ¥16.43

264.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$11.46 ¥76.8

9.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$2.00 ¥13.39

51.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$0.65 ¥4.32

141.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$0.94 ¥6.27

126.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$2.02 ¥13.56

11.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$0.97 ¥6.49

106.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$1.78 ¥11.93

15.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$0.47 ¥3.15

151.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$0.50 ¥3.35

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$3.02 ¥20.21

53.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$11.05 ¥74.0

-3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$0.79 ¥5.29

105.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$1.71 ¥11.43

68.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.29 ¥1.95

96.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

$18.00 ¥121

65.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$0.85 ¥5.70

541.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$0.15 ¥1.03

2366.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$7.00 ¥46.93

-14.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$0.96 ¥6.41

61.46%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$12.4K ¥83.2K

79.80%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$11.0K ¥73.9K

135.32%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$44.31 ¥297

101.15%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$8.43 ¥56.5

197.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$10.92 ¥73.2

188.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$40.49 ¥271

67.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$15.30 ¥103

89.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$6.11 ¥40.95

-17.35%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$484 ¥3,242

-53.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$24.6K ¥164.6K

-82.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$20.93 ¥140

126.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$29.06 ¥195

54.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$58.3 ¥391

40.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$87.0 ¥583

5.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$292 ¥1,958

266.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$180 ¥1,207

125.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$591 ¥3,958

227.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$378 ¥2,535

243.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$3,223 ¥21.6K

23.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$1,953 ¥13.1K

239.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$1,093 ¥7,325

-31.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.46

230.92%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Jieyang: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $292 in Jieyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jieyang pays 46% 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 $13.00 in Jieyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $199 per month, with Jieyang 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 Jieyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jieyang wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jieyang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Jieyang. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $292 in Jieyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $664 in Jieyang – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jieyang runs roughly 66% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $664 in Jieyang versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jieyang but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Jieyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jieyang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $664 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jieyang hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Jieyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.