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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,273 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,040 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,808 in Keelung.

Monthly costs are close between Playa del Carmen and Keelung; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.17 NT$163

129.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$30.43 NT$962

40.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.40 NT$171

97.22%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.94 NT$92.9

17.35%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.10 NT$34.73

36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.81 NT$25.46

17.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.10 NT$66.3

44.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.95 NT$93.3

56.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$3.40 NT$108

-59.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.49 NT$47.15

24.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.14 NT$35.97

41.23%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.48 NT$78.5

4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$31.37 NT$992

-73.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.19 NT$196

35.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$15.93 NT$503

-33.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$4.52 NT$143

-41.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.76 NT$55.6

-15.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.25 NT$71.3

-14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$3.09 NT$97.7

-32.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.35 NT$42.58

37.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.94 NT$61.4

16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$2.29 NT$72.3

-53.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.26 NT$39.80

-13.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.97 NT$126

4.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.70 NT$307

7.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.22 NT$38.72

40.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.65 NT$83.7

-1.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.49 NT$15.48

10.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$68.0 NT$2,151

-60.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.81 NT$88.9

11.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.20 NT$37.89

109.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$10.10 NT$319

-68.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.01 NT$32.04

25.74%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$33.4K NT$1.1M

-9.17%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$26.1K NT$823.7K

-9.56%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$44.01 NT$1,391

88.59%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$24.37 NT$771

-6.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$11.78 NT$372

150.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.04 NT$1,171

37.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$33.67 NT$1,064

-45.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.69 NT$275

-43.27%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$364 NT$11.5K

-45.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$20.5K NT$649.6K

-74.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$83.6 NT$2,643

-55.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$34.44 NT$1,089

15.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$50.2 NT$1,586

59.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$33.81 NT$1,069

164.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$610 NT$19.3K

56.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$516 NT$16.3K

-7.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,124 NT$35.5K

46.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,020 NT$32.2K

20.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$3,392 NT$107.2K

15.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,361 NT$74.6K

173.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$2,435 NT$77.0K

-72.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

2.18

423.85%

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 Keelung: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $610 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 265% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Keelung. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 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 Keelung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, Keelung earns 265% 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 $610 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $364 in Keelung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $30.00 in Keelung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,273 in Keelung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Keelung. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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 Keelung are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Keelung on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.