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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $704 in Kaifeng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,103 in Kaifeng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,501 in Kaifeng.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 79% more expensive than in Kaifeng, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kaifeng 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$2.77 ¥18.73

323.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$14.19 ¥95.8

195.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$4.26 ¥28.80

146.71%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.11 ¥14.25

70.14%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.47 ¥3.14

221.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.22 ¥1.49

318.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$1.10 ¥7.41

169.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.04 ¥13.75

116.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.85 ¥12.48

-24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.55 ¥10.48

21.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$0.90 ¥6.07

73.33%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.63 ¥11.03

60.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$13.03 ¥88.0

-36.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$3.24 ¥21.89

157.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$10.25 ¥69.2

5.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.80 ¥12.14

50.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.22 ¥8.22

23.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$0.60 ¥4.05

211.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$1.10 ¥7.43

99.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$0.73 ¥4.91

154.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$0.98 ¥6.64

127.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.60 ¥4.07

78.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.55 ¥3.72

98.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$3.08 ¥20.82

36.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$14.80 ¥100.0

-29.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$0.79 ¥5.33

110.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$1.59 ¥10.72

64.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.27 ¥1.81

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$17.01 ¥115

53.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$1.41 ¥9.51

118.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.35 ¥2.37

585.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$6.50 ¥43.88

-51.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.18 ¥7.97

11.02%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$19.7K ¥133.2K

51.15%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$16.8K ¥113.8K

38.44%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$45.23 ¥306

79.70%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$9.87 ¥66.7

128.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$11.35 ¥76.7

164.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$41.93 ¥283

26.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$13.69 ¥92.5

34.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$6.14 ¥41.46

-19.87%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$338 ¥2,285

-40.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$17.2K ¥116.5K

-69.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$44.21 ¥299

-18.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$30.93 ¥209

29.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$72.0 ¥486

10.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$74.8 ¥505

15.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$280 ¥1,893

248.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$189 ¥1,273

149.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$600 ¥4,053

175.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$355 ¥2,398

239.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$574 ¥3,876

17.92%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Kaifeng: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $280 in Kaifeng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 18% 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 $14.00 in Kaifeng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $204 per month, with Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaifeng wins on cost – living expenses run 79% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kaifeng the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 in Kaifeng. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kaifeng – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $704 in Kaifeng – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $704 in Kaifeng versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kaifeng but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kaifeng the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kaifeng delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kaifeng hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kaifeng gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.