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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,294 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,068 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,843 in Keelung.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 1% less than in Keelung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Keelung 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.01 NT$159

138.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$29.90 NT$946

42.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.54 NT$175

91.16%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.93 NT$92.8

23.55%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.15 NT$36.25

27.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.78 NT$24.80

20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.16 NT$68.5

43.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.84 NT$90.0

57.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$3.34 NT$106

-57.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.51 NT$47.67

24.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.18 NT$37.40

38.14%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.42 NT$76.6

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$31.90 NT$1,010

-74.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.04 NT$191

37.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$16.02 NT$507

-30.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$4.58 NT$145

-42.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.81 NT$57.3

-17.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.29 NT$72.4

-13.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$3.07 NT$97.0

-32.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.34 NT$42.32

33.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.86 NT$59.0

17.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$2.32 NT$73.4

-53.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.25 NT$39.54

-16.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.96 NT$125

0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$9.74 NT$308

4.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.18 NT$37.23

46.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.63 NT$83.1

-4.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.52 NT$16.55

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$66.7 NT$2,110

-59.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.80 NT$88.7

12.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.18 NT$37.29

103.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$10.33 NT$327

-70.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.01 NT$31.98

25.74%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$33.8K NT$1.1M

-8.74%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$26.3K NT$831.5K

-11.25%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$43.89 NT$1,389

86.85%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$24.95 NT$790

-10.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$12.06 NT$382

145.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$37.38 NT$1,183

38.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$33.82 NT$1,071

-44.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$8.45 NT$268

-41.18%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$357 NT$11.3K

-44.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$21.1K NT$667.9K

-75.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$84.0 NT$2,659

-56.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$34.88 NT$1,104

14.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$51.5 NT$1,629

55.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$33.41 NT$1,058

166.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$617 NT$19.5K

56.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$506 NT$16.0K

-8.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,138 NT$36.0K

40.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$998 NT$31.6K

21.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$3,451 NT$109.2K

14.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$2,362 NT$74.8K

172.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$2,442 NT$77.3K

-70.50%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Keelung: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $617 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 239% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Keelung. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $358, 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

Playa del Carmen and Keelung differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $1,294 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Keelung earns 239% 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 $617 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Keelung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,294 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.