Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jieyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Jieyang: $683 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Jieyang
Learn more

Jieyang Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Jieyang

🇨🇳 China

$683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Jieyang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Jieyang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $683 in Jieyang.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Jieyang $683

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,078 in Jieyang.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Jieyang $1,078

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,474 in Jieyang.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Jieyang $1,474

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 76% more expensive than in Jieyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Jieyang 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$2.04 ¥13.62

432.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$12.95 ¥86.6

241.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$3.79 ¥25.32

210.29%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.44 ¥16.32

50.82%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.47 ¥3.13

185.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.33 ¥2.19

148.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$0.91 ¥6.09

236.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$1.75 ¥11.67

182.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.47 ¥9.82

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$2.38 ¥15.94

-6.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$0.99 ¥6.64

49.49%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$0.89 ¥5.94

179.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$11.86 ¥79.3

-36.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$2.43 ¥16.23

227.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$11.72 ¥78.3

7.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$1.95 ¥13.07

42.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$0.69 ¥4.59

107.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.01 ¥6.78

159.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$2.04 ¥13.62

4.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.97 ¥6.51

108.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.74 ¥11.62

14.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.46 ¥3.08

147.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.51 ¥3.39

135.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$2.90 ¥19.41

46.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$11.06 ¥73.9

-9.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$0.84 ¥5.62

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.75 ¥11.72

52.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.29 ¥1.94

82.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$18.26 ¥122

50.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$0.93 ¥6.23

426.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.14 ¥0.94

2350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$7.26 ¥48.53

-25.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$0.93 ¥6.24

55.91%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$12.9K ¥86.4K

63.80%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$11.3K ¥75.9K

102.90%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$44.10 ¥295

93.56%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$8.85 ¥59.1

165.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$11.15 ¥74.6

154.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$41.70 ¥279

49.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$14.70 ¥98.3

95.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$6.13 ¥41.01

-16.80%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$490 ¥3,273

-58.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$24.5K ¥163.6K

-83.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$21.25 ¥142

108.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$29.23 ¥195

41.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$60.0 ¥401

21.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$87.6 ¥585

2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$301 ¥2,014

225.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$185 ¥1,238

101.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$621 ¥4,153

170.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$378 ¥2,526

189.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$3,444 ¥23.0K

14.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,936 ¥12.9K

217.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$1,101 ¥7,360

-33.00%

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: October 17, 2026

Last update for Jieyang: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Jieyang

$185 27.1% 50.3% $188

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Jieyang

$201 29.5% 22.1% $57

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Jieyang

$68 10% 65.9% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Jieyang

$64 9.4% 53.3% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Jieyang

$89 13.1% 20.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Jieyang

$54 7.9% 25.5% $18

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Jieyang

$21 3.1% 59.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $301 in Jieyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jieyang pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $13.00 in Jieyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $201 per month, with Jieyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇳 Jieyang

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

08:40 8:40 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

5,877,025

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Jieyang 14,480 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Jieyang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 76% 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 49% 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: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $301 in Jieyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $683 in Jieyang – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jieyang runs roughly 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $683 in Jieyang versus $1,204 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 $683 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 76% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.