Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kaohsiung

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaohsiung: $1,108 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
Learn more

Kaohsiung Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,108

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,108 in Kaohsiung.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Kaohsiung $1,108

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,821 in Kaohsiung.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Kaohsiung $1,821

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,535 in Kaohsiung.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Kaohsiung $2,535

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Kaohsiung 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$5.46 NT$174

100.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$31.96 NT$1,020

40.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$4.87 NT$155

144.76%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$2.83 NT$90.4

34.28%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$1.14 NT$36.40

14.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$0.71 NT$22.76

21.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$1.53 NT$48.85

109.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$2.55 NT$81.5

96.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$3.25 NT$104

-55.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$2.19 NT$69.7

6.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$3.07 NT$98.1

-53.09%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$2.67 NT$85.2

-7.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$16.13 NT$515

-52.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$8.08 NT$258

-2.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$15.24 NT$486

-16.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$6.80 NT$217

-57.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$2.82 NT$90.1

-49.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$2.57 NT$82.0

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$3.08 NT$98.4

-30.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$2.84 NT$90.7

-31.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$2.06 NT$65.8

-5.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$2.45 NT$78.2

-53.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$1.04 NT$33.18

17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$4.54 NT$145

-3.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$15.72 NT$502

-37.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$1.67 NT$53.4

-7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$2.25 NT$71.7

20.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$0.68 NT$21.68

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$12.67 NT$404

116.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$2.76 NT$88.0

77.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$0.75 NT$23.98

369.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$5.51 NT$176

3.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$1.02 NT$32.50

50.98%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$33.6K NT$1.1M

-36.87%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$23.0K NT$735.3K

6.27%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$84.8 NT$2,705

-1.38%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$17.34 NT$553

38.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$25.77 NT$822

13.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$41.21 NT$1,315

57.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$10.41 NT$332

183.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$10.96 NT$350

-53.56%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$462 NT$14.7K

-55.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$14.1K NT$449.2K

-71.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$93.5 NT$2,982

-52.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$31.88 NT$1,017

31.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$85.9 NT$2,740

-12.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$104 NT$3,314

-12.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$415 NT$13.2K

137.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$276 NT$8,808

39.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$979 NT$31.2K

74.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$668 NT$21.3K

65.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$4,588 NT$146.4K

-12.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$3,154 NT$100.7K

98.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$1,462 NT$46.7K

-48.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.56

347.27%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Kaohsiung

$276 24.9% 28.3% $109

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Kaohsiung

$368 33.1% 41.3% $107

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Kaohsiung

$112 10.1% 44.9% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Kaohsiung

$128 11.5% 6.6% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Kaohsiung

$142 12.8% 24.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Kaohsiung

$63 5.7% 15.9% $12

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Kaohsiung

$22 2% 57.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Playa del Carmen and $415 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $368, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

17:50 5:50 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,777,873

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.76 TWD (100 TWD = 2.8 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Kaohsiung 14,360 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Kaohsiung

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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kaohsiung differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,215 vs $1,108 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 93% lower in Kaohsiung. 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: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $415 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $208 in Playa del Carmen versus $462 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 41% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,108 in Kaohsiung versus $1,215 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 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.