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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $687 in Lianyungang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,048 in Lianyungang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,409 in Lianyungang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 83% more expensive than in Lianyungang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Lianyungang 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$3.40 ¥22.97

244.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$11.34 ¥76.6

269.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$4.44 ¥29.98

136.71%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$1.70 ¥11.49

111.18%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.43 ¥2.92

251.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.31 ¥2.11

196.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$0.73 ¥4.93

305.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.05 ¥13.87

115.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.88 ¥12.72

-25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.01 ¥6.83

86.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$0.89 ¥6.02

75.28%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.68 ¥11.35

55.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$14.85 ¥100

-43.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$4.06 ¥27.43

105.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$8.85 ¥59.8

22.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.14 ¥7.71

137.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$0.58 ¥3.93

160.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$0.86 ¥5.78

117.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$0.44 ¥2.96

397.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$0.73 ¥4.93

154.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$0.43 ¥2.93

418.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.27 ¥1.81

296.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.41 ¥2.74

165.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$3.88 ¥26.22

7.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$14.42 ¥97.4

-27.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.05 ¥7.06

58.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$1.55 ¥10.47

68.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.27 ¥1.80

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$16.67 ¥113

56.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$1.10 ¥7.40

180.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.31 ¥2.12

674.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$7.45 ¥50.3

-57.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.14 ¥7.72

14.91%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$19.7K ¥133.3K

50.99%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$13.2K ¥88.9K

77.13%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$50.9 ¥344

59.56%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$10.85 ¥73.3

107.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$8.27 ¥55.9

263.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$41.55 ¥281

27.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$13.81 ¥93.3

33.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$4.08 ¥27.55

20.59%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$280 ¥1,889

-28.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$17.2K ¥116.1K

-69.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$22.24 ¥150

61.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$22.60 ¥153

77.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$58.7 ¥396

35.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$102 ¥688

-15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$276 ¥1,862

254.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$187 ¥1,264

151.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$601 ¥4,060

174.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$362 ¥2,444

232.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$3,355 ¥22.7K

17.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$1,727 ¥11.7K

282.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$582 ¥3,933

16.21%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lianyungang: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $276 in Lianyungang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 16% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $11.00 in Lianyungang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $192 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 83% 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.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $276 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 in Lianyungang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $687 in Lianyungang versus $1,260 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 $687 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 83% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.