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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $705 in Jining.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,133 in Jining.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,561 in Jining.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 78% more expensive than in Jining, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Jining 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.81 ¥19.01

326.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$21.27 ¥144

96.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.85 ¥32.80

121.65%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.06 ¥20.71

14.38%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.44 ¥2.95

229.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.29 ¥1.98

203.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$0.89 ¥6.00

231.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.03 ¥13.73

122.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.84 ¥12.42

-22.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.53 ¥10.36

20.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.95 ¥6.45

65.26%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.64 ¥11.06

53.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$13.03 ¥88.1

-36.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.17 ¥21.45

165.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.01 ¥67.6

6.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.71 ¥11.56

52.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.20 ¥8.14

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.38 ¥9.32

42.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.08 ¥7.28

93.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.68 ¥4.61

172.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.91 ¥6.18

138.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.60 ¥4.07

71.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.51 ¥3.48

109.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.12 ¥21.06

31.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.63 ¥58.3

17.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.80 ¥5.43

110.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.63 ¥11.02

55.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.27 ¥1.82

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$16.92 ¥114

53.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.38 ¥9.31

134.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.33 ¥2.22

630.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$6.48 ¥43.80

-50.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.17 ¥7.92

12.82%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$19.3K ¥130.6K

53.60%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$16.8K ¥113.7K

40.59%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$46.36 ¥313

76.90%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$9.62 ¥65.0

138.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$11.66 ¥78.8

158.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$42.24 ¥285

23.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.81 ¥93.3

34.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.10 ¥41.22

-18.36%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$336 ¥2,273

-41.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$17.0K ¥115.0K

-68.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$42.98 ¥290

-17.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$30.78 ¥208

31.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$71.9 ¥486

9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$73.5 ¥496

21.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$280 ¥1,893

237.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$187 ¥1,265

153.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$587 ¥3,968

179.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$360 ¥2,429

236.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$3,117 ¥21.1K

30.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,847 ¥12.5K

250.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$591 ¥3,993

10.65%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Jining: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $280 in Jining. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 11% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Jining for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $193 per month, with Jining 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 Jining: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jining is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 in Jining. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jining runs roughly 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $336 in Jining. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $705 in Jining versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jining but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Jining the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jining 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 Jining gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.