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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $708 in Jinzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,115 in Jinzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,523 in Jinzhou.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 82% more expensive than Jinzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Jinzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$2.72 ¥18.63

338.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$20.96 ¥144

103.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.00 ¥34.27

111.80%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.98 ¥20.43

21.48%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.43 ¥2.95

241.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.29 ¥2.01

224.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$0.93 ¥6.35

232.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.07 ¥14.18

115.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.78 ¥12.18

-19.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.61 ¥11.03

16.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.89 ¥6.07

83.15%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.61 ¥11.04

63.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$12.85 ¥88.0

-36.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.06 ¥20.96

170.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.22 ¥70.0

8.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.80 ¥12.33

47.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.24 ¥8.50

20.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.41 ¥9.69

41.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.09 ¥7.45

90.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.67 ¥4.57

167.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.91 ¥6.24

139.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.57 ¥3.88

89.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.52 ¥3.56

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.08 ¥21.11

28.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.74 ¥80.4

-13.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.73 ¥5.03

136.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.63 ¥11.18

53.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.29 ¥2.00

79.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$16.56 ¥113

62.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.37 ¥9.36

129.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.33 ¥2.23

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.51 ¥44.56

-52.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.13 ¥7.75

12.39%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$19.2K ¥131.3K

61.11%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$16.5K ¥113.3K

40.94%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$45.20 ¥310

81.44%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.92 ¥67.9

126.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$11.60 ¥79.5

155.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$42.60 ¥292

21.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$14.00 ¥95.9

33.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.10 ¥41.76

-18.52%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$337 ¥2,308

-41.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$17.0K ¥116.2K

-68.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$42.75 ¥293

-14.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$30.97 ¥212

29.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$71.1 ¥487

12.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$75.5 ¥517

17.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$276 ¥1,889

249.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$184 ¥1,260

152.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$584 ¥4,003

173.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$356 ¥2,436

239.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$3,350 ¥22.9K

17.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,889 ¥12.9K

241.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$443 ¥3,037

62.51%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Jinzhou: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $276 in Jinzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 63% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Jinzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $199 per month, with Jinzhou 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 Jinzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jinzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 63% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $276 in Jinzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Jinzhou – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $708 in Jinzhou – a 82% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $708 in Jinzhou versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jinzhou but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Jinzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jinzhou 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 Jinzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.