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: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,091 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,818 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,546 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 22% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Kaohsiung 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$5.38 NT$171

142.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$31.11 NT$990

48.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$4.82 NT$153

161.20%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.76 NT$87.8

44.93%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.11 NT$35.39

27.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.66 NT$21.14

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$1.51 NT$48.00

101.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.47 NT$78.6

176.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$3.20 NT$102

-46.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$2.21 NT$70.5

0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$2.87 NT$91.4

-40.07%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.52 NT$80.1

7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$14.98 NT$477

-37.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$7.96 NT$253

11.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$15.28 NT$486

-16.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$6.39 NT$204

-51.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.73 NT$86.9

-43.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.52 NT$80.4

-14.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$3.21 NT$102

-26.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$2.68 NT$85.2

-24.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.95 NT$62.2

2.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$2.33 NT$74.1

-46.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$1.03 NT$32.78

15.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$4.05 NT$129

14.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$15.26 NT$486

-31.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.57 NT$50.0

0.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.19 NT$69.8

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.73 NT$23.09

-23.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$12.16 NT$387

144.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$2.68 NT$85.2

98.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.81 NT$25.94

359.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$5.52 NT$176

4.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.00 NT$31.78

55.00%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$32.6K NT$1.0M

-31.37%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$22.7K NT$724.3K

12.41%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$83.3 NT$2,650

7.24%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$17.36 NT$553

34.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$26.17 NT$833

21.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$39.15 NT$1,246

75.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$10.24 NT$326

187.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$11.04 NT$352

-54.17%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$461 NT$14.7K

-51.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$14.0K NT$446.6K

-69.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$91.2 NT$2,905

-49.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$33.54 NT$1,068

32.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$84.9 NT$2,704

12.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$99.1 NT$3,155

-6.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$376 NT$12.0K

184.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$272 NT$8,666

44.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$957 NT$30.5K

107.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$667 NT$21.2K

95.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$4,541 NT$144.6K

-11.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$3,084 NT$98.2K

114.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$1,419 NT$45.2K

-47.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

2.56

353.12%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $376 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $357, 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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,330 vs $1,091 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 90% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $376 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Playa del Carmen versus $461 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 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,091 in Kaohsiung versus $1,330 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 22% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.