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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,262 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $714 in Jingmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,158 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,136 in Jingmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,054 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,559 in Jingmen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 77% more than Jingmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Jingmen are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Jingmen 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$2.74 ¥18.74

323.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$22.86 ¥156

87.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$4.88 ¥33.33

117.21%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.97 ¥20.31

20.88%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.41 ¥2.79

253.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.32 ¥2.19

181.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$0.87 ¥5.93

248.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$2.05 ¥14.03

122.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$1.82 ¥12.43

-20.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$1.61 ¥11.02

13.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$0.97 ¥6.64

65.98%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$1.61 ¥11.03

57.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$12.68 ¥86.6

-32.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$3.22 ¥21.99

163.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$10.02 ¥68.4

8.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$1.79 ¥12.25

52.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$1.20 ¥8.21

24.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$1.38 ¥9.41

40.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$1.08 ¥7.41

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$0.73 ¥4.96

153.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$0.91 ¥6.21

140.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.56 ¥3.83

91.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.51 ¥3.51

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$3.18 ¥21.70

27.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$11.74 ¥80.2

-10.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$0.80 ¥5.46

106.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$1.66 ¥11.37

53.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.27 ¥1.83

107.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$16.93 ¥116

54.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$1.42 ¥9.71

121.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$0.33 ¥2.24

618.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$6.62 ¥45.23

-51.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.18 ¥8.05

11.02%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$19.7K ¥134.5K

55.03%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$16.8K ¥115.0K

41.49%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$45.83 ¥313

81.41%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$9.88 ¥67.5

124.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$11.33 ¥77.4

159.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$42.09 ¥287

21.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$13.97 ¥95.4

33.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$6.16 ¥42.05

-20.62%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$336 ¥2,292

-40.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$17.3K ¥118.0K

-69.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$42.92 ¥293

-16.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$30.08 ¥205

30.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$70.7 ¥483

13.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$75.3 ¥514

16.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$279 ¥1,905

245.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$186 ¥1,273

158.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$586 ¥4,002

180.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$359 ¥2,453

231.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$2,990 ¥20.4K

32.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$1,743 ¥11.9K

273.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.87

195.09%

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 Jingmen: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $279 in Jingmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $23 in Jingmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $199 – making Jingmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Jingmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen, $714 in Jingmen – roughly 77% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,894 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,071 in Jingmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jingmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $199 per month in Playa del Carmen and $336 in Jingmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jingmen, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,262. In Jingmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $714 in Jingmen to $1,262 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Jingmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.