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: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $653 in Jieyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,013 in Jieyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,373 in Jieyang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 93% more expensive than Jieyang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Jieyang 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$2.00 ¥13.67

480.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$11.72 ¥80.0

264.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$3.58 ¥24.48

196.09%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.81 ¥19.21

27.76%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.40 ¥2.75

262.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.29 ¥1.96

210.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$0.82 ¥5.62

269.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$1.66 ¥11.31

174.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$1.37 ¥9.34

5.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$2.14 ¥14.63

-14.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$0.83 ¥5.64

93.98%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$0.86 ¥5.87

195.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$11.04 ¥75.4

-22.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$2.39 ¥16.29

254.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$10.90 ¥74.5

-0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$1.79 ¥12.22

52.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$0.63 ¥4.32

136.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$0.93 ¥6.38

108.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$1.87 ¥12.77

15.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$0.89 ¥6.11

107.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$1.62 ¥11.07

35.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.40 ¥2.76

167.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.51 ¥3.50

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$2.72 ¥18.59

49.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$10.79 ¥73.7

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$0.78 ¥5.36

111.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$1.65 ¥11.26

54.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.29 ¥1.99

93.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$16.46 ¥112

59.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$0.81 ¥5.51

287.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$0.14 ¥0.93

1592.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$6.62 ¥45.19

-51.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$0.94 ¥6.42

39.36%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$12.0K ¥82.0K

154.32%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$10.5K ¥71.4K

127.87%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$38.16 ¥261

117.87%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$9.53 ¥65.1

132.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$11.34 ¥77.5

158.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$41.05 ¥280

24.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$13.87 ¥94.7

34.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$5.48 ¥37.41

-10.77%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$467 ¥3,187

-57.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$17.0K ¥116.1K

-69.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$19.43 ¥133

84.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$26.93 ¥184

46.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$56.4 ¥385

42.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$81.0 ¥553

8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$284 ¥1,938

239.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$191 ¥1,304

152.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$593 ¥4,050

177.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$365 ¥2,491

226.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$3,220 ¥22.0K

22.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$1,949 ¥13.3K

234.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$1,068 ¥7,295

-32.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.56

220.79%

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 Jieyang: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $284 in Jieyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jieyang pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $12 in Jieyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $188 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 93% 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, Jieyang earns 47% less. 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $284 in Jieyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,262 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $653 in Jieyang – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jieyang runs roughly 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $653 in Jieyang versus $1,262 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 $653 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 93% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.