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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $699 in Lianyungang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,067 in Lianyungang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,436 in Lianyungang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 81% more expensive than Lianyungang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Lianyungang 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$3.39 ¥23.16

242.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$740

$11.10 ¥75.8

285.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$4.54 ¥31.02

133.48%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.2

$1.65 ¥11.30

117.58%

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

$1.45 MX$25.15

$0.40 ¥2.73

262.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.55

$0.29 ¥1.96

210.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.5

$0.68 ¥4.67

345.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.0

$2.12 ¥14.50

115.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.14

$2.00 ¥13.64

-27.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.64

$1.07 ¥7.30

71.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.85

$0.95 ¥6.52

69.47%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.95

$1.66 ¥11.33

53.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$14.73 ¥101

-42.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$4.06 ¥27.73

108.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.31 ¥63.6

16.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.26

$1.08 ¥7.41

152.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.85

$0.54 ¥3.68

175.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.65

$0.86 ¥5.84

125.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.49

$0.44 ¥3.01

390.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.97

$0.73 ¥5.01

153.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.91

$0.41 ¥2.78

434.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.58

$0.29 ¥1.99

268.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$0.41 ¥2.78

163.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.3

$3.94 ¥26.92

3.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$181

$14.38 ¥98.2

-27.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.64

$1.00 ¥6.86

65.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.13

$1.59 ¥10.84

60.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.27 ¥1.84

107.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$454

$16.74 ¥114

56.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.08 ¥7.38

190.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.08

$0.34 ¥2.34

597.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$7.53 ¥51.4

-56.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.76

$1.08 ¥7.40

21.30%

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

$30.5K MX$528.9K

$20.4K ¥139.4K

49.59%

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

$23.8K MX$412.6K

$13.4K ¥91.7K

77.47%

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

$83.1 MX$1,440

$51.5 ¥352

61.47%

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

$22.15 MX$384

$10.80 ¥73.8

105.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$509

$8.47 ¥57.8

246.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$887

$42.47 ¥290

20.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$13.77 ¥94.0

35.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.7

$4.20 ¥28.71

16.43%

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

$199 MX$3,441

$284 ¥1,940

-30.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.2K

$17.0K ¥116.0K

-69.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$622

$22.42 ¥153

60.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$682

$23.33 ¥159

68.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,391

$58.4 ¥399

37.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,517

$103 ¥703

-14.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$274 ¥1,872

251.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,350

$185 ¥1,265

160.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.5K

$597 ¥4,075

175.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.6K

$356 ¥2,432

234.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.5K

$3,181 ¥21.7K

24.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$112.8K

$2,117 ¥14.5K

207.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$589 ¥4,020

23.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.81

199.74%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Last update for Lianyungang: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $274 in Lianyungang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 23% 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 in Playa del Carmen vs $11 in Lianyungang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $194 per month, with Lianyungang cheaper across the board.

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 Lianyungang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lianyungang wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lianyungang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 23% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $274 in Lianyungang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lianyungang runs roughly 57% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $199 in Playa del Carmen versus $284 in Lianyungang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $699 in Lianyungang versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lianyungang but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lianyungang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lianyungang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $699 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lianyungang hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lianyungang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.