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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,148 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,899 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,650 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 12% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Kaohsiung 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$4.11 NT$130

190.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$33.83 NT$1,071

26.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.43 NT$172

95.03%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.99 NT$94.8

21.07%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.97 NT$30.80

51.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.72 NT$22.94

30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.68 NT$53.1

83.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.79 NT$88.2

59.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$3.43 NT$109

-58.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.00 NT$63.3

-6.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.61 NT$82.6

-37.55%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$3.30 NT$105

-20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$16.13 NT$511

-49.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$9.45 NT$299

-12.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$17.56 NT$556

-36.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$6.20 NT$196

-57.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.59 NT$81.9

-42.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.86 NT$90.4

-30.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$4.00 NT$127

-48.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.91 NT$92.1

-38.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.23 NT$70.5

-2.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.95 NT$61.6

-44.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.19 NT$37.74

-12.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.53 NT$143

-12.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$15.61 NT$494

-34.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.67 NT$52.8

3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.56 NT$81.0

-2.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.82 NT$26.01

-36.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$26.95 NT$853

0.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.91 NT$92.1

7.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.79 NT$25.16

203.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.12 NT$194

-49.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.03 NT$32.54

23.30%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$34.9K NT$1.1M

-11.48%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$25.6K NT$811.5K

-9.07%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$102 NT$3,239

-19.86%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$25.62 NT$811

-12.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$25.09 NT$794

18.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$39.67 NT$1,255

30.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$11.12 NT$352

67.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$9.98 NT$316

-50.20%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$431 NT$13.7K

-54.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$11.5K NT$362.6K

-53.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$97.4 NT$3,083

-62.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$35.83 NT$1,134

11.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$88.1 NT$2,788

-9.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$104 NT$3,276

-14.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$442 NT$14.0K

118.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$279 NT$8,843

66.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$960 NT$30.4K

66.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$686 NT$21.7K

76.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$4,630 NT$146.5K

-14.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$3,248 NT$102.8K

98.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$1,533 NT$48.5K

-53.01%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 113% 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 $251 vs $384, 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 12% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $1,148 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaohsiung earns 113% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $431 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 53% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,287 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 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.