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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $697 in Lianyungang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,061 in Lianyungang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,425 in Lianyungang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 82% more expensive than 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

$11.87 MX$204

$3.29 ¥22.25

260.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$10.96 ¥74.1

291.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.45 ¥30.11

139.33%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.66 ¥11.22

107.83%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.40 ¥2.71

275.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.31 ¥2.12

206.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$0.69 ¥4.66

339.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.11 ¥14.29

118.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.95 ¥13.21

-29.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.07 ¥7.24

72.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.94 ¥6.38

71.28%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.71 ¥11.57

51.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$15.16 ¥103

-45.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.07 ¥27.51

105.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.15 ¥61.9

16.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.13 ¥7.63

132.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.54 ¥3.65

175.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.86 ¥5.80

123.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.40 ¥2.71

422.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.73 ¥4.96

154.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.44 ¥2.94

413.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.27 ¥1.82

292.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.41 ¥2.76

165.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.88 ¥26.21

6.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$14.45 ¥97.7

-28.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.99 ¥6.70

73.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.59 ¥10.77

64.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.29 ¥1.97

86.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$16.44 ¥111

63.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.13 ¥7.61

176.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.32 ¥2.16

684.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$7.40 ¥50.1

-57.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.08 ¥7.32

17.59%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$20.4K ¥138.0K

48.79%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$13.5K ¥91.4K

74.40%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$51.1 ¥346

62.36%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$10.76 ¥72.8

111.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$8.17 ¥55.2

260.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$42.33 ¥286

20.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$14.12 ¥95.5

29.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.10 ¥27.74

20.24%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$275 ¥1,861

-28.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$17.2K ¥116.5K

-69.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$21.93 ¥148

68.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$23.05 ¥156

73.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$59.5 ¥402

34.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$103 ¥693

-12.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$283 ¥1,914

237.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$186 ¥1,261

155.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$593 ¥4,008

177.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$353 ¥2,388

246.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$3,238 ¥21.9K

21.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,785 ¥12.1K

261.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$598 ¥4,046

11.48%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lianyungang: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $283 in Lianyungang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 11% 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 $11.00 in Lianyungang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $195 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 82% 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 11% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $283 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 64% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 in Lianyungang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $697 in Lianyungang versus $1,271 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 $697 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 82% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.