Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jinzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinzhou: $744 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Jinzhou
Learn more

Jinzhou Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Jinzhou

🇨🇳 China

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Jinzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $744 in Jinzhou.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Jinzhou $744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,182 in Jinzhou.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Jinzhou $1,182

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,620 in Jinzhou.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Jinzhou $1,620

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 63% more expensive than in Jinzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Jinzhou 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$2.97 ¥19.85

262.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$794

$22.15 ¥148

94.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$5.11 ¥34.15

130.72%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$2.81 ¥18.81

37.72%

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

$1.37 MX$25.26

$0.47 ¥3.16

191.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.43

$0.31 ¥2.09

170.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.2

$1.09 ¥7.32

184.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.5

$2.06 ¥13.75

146.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.52

$1.78 ¥11.88

-19.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.19

$1.60 ¥10.68

39.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.14

$1.02 ¥6.80

44.12%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.66

$1.67 ¥11.20

51.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$13.84 ¥92.6

-47.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$3.75 ¥25.09

109.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$12.09 ¥80.9

5.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.5

$1.83 ¥12.25

58.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.50

$1.31 ¥8.78

9.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.02

$1.67 ¥11.17

52.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.99

$1.28 ¥8.58

60.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$0.71 ¥4.72

181.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.03

$0.95 ¥6.33

111.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$21.99

$0.60 ¥4.03

98.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.20

$0.52 ¥3.47

142.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.3

$3.35 ¥22.40

31.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$10.49 ¥70.2

-8.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.38

$0.81 ¥5.43

96.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$1.41 ¥9.44

99.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.46

$0.29 ¥1.93

96.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$17.28 ¥116

61.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.0

$1.47 ¥9.80

238.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.33 ¥2.18

960.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.7

$6.27 ¥41.94

-13.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.05

$1.26 ¥8.46

16.67%

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

$21.0K MX$387.4K

$20.8K ¥139.2K

0.80%

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

$23.9K MX$441.3K

$19.4K ¥129.9K

23.12%

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

$84.2 MX$1,554

$61.6 ¥412

36.73%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$9.25 ¥61.8

159.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$10.62 ¥71.0

173.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,163

$37.37 ¥250

68.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$538

$13.38 ¥89.5

117.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.2

$5.58 ¥37.32

-11.47%

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

$204 MX$3,759

$425 ¥2,843

-52.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$15.7K ¥105.0K

-74.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$805

$42.31 ¥283

3.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$796

$30.77 ¥206

40.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,399

$80.1 ¥535

-5.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,635

$64.9 ¥434

36.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$266 ¥1,776

279.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,904

$198 ¥1,321

89.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.5K

$642 ¥4,293

166.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$387 ¥2,585

186.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.8K

$3,375 ¥22.6K

16.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$113.9K

$2,212 ¥14.8K

178.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$448 ¥2,996

68.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.36

240.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Jinzhou: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Jinzhou

$198 26.5% 47.2% $176

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Jinzhou

$212 28.4% 18.1% $47

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Jinzhou

$86 11.5% 57.7% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Jinzhou

$81 10.9% 40.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Jinzhou

$98 13.2% 13.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Jinzhou

$49 6.5% 33.4% $24

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Jinzhou

$22 2.9% 59% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $266 in Jinzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 68% 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 $22.00 in Jinzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $212 per month, with Jinzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇳 Jinzhou

🕒 Local time

03:55 3:55 AM

16:55 4:55 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,703,853

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.42 USD

100 MXN = 4.84 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 18.46 MXN (100 MXN = 5.42 USD). 1 EUR = 20.67 MXN (100 MXN = 4.84 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Jinzhou 12,560 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Jinzhou

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 Jinzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jinzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 68% 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: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $266 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 $22.00 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 $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $744 in Jinzhou – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $744 in Jinzhou versus $1,210 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 63% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.