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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,188 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,951 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,714 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 7% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kaohsiung 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.05 NT$128

193.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$34.24 NT$1,082

25.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.51 NT$174

93.28%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.09 NT$97.8

11.65%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.97 NT$30.78

54.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.71 NT$22.50

33.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.66 NT$52.4

82.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.73 NT$86.2

68.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$3.50 NT$110

-60.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.00 NT$63.3

-7.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.61 NT$82.4

-38.31%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.33 NT$105

-22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$16.02 NT$506

-48.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$9.41 NT$297

-11.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$18.01 NT$569

-40.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$6.17 NT$195

-57.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.56 NT$81.1

-41.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.84 NT$89.9

-32.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$3.99 NT$126

-47.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$3.01 NT$95.1

-38.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.13 NT$67.2

6.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.85 NT$58.6

-42.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.19 NT$37.52

-8.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.38 NT$139

-5.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$15.51 NT$490

-33.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.72 NT$54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.46 NT$77.7

6.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.82 NT$25.79

-34.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$26.56 NT$840

1.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.94 NT$92.9

6.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.78 NT$24.73

221.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.28 NT$198

-49.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.03 NT$32.71

23.30%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$33.9K NT$1.1M

-10.39%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$25.7K NT$811.1K

-8.15%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$102 NT$3,225

-18.64%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$25.18 NT$796

-9.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$25.61 NT$810

15.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$39.43 NT$1,246

29.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$11.15 NT$352

64.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$10.08 NT$319

-51.09%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$428 NT$13.5K

-53.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$11.5K NT$362.7K

-53.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$95.0 NT$3,004

-61.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$36.01 NT$1,138

10.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$89.3 NT$2,824

-10.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$101 NT$3,191

-11.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$443 NT$14.0K

115.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$281 NT$8,897

69.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$950 NT$30.0K

73.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$682 NT$21.6K

79.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$4,584 NT$144.9K

-14.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$3,194 NT$101.0K

102.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,503 NT$47.5K

-55.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

2.3

396.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $443 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 125% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $385, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kaohsiung differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,188 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaohsiung earns 125% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $443 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $428 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 54% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kaohsiung are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.