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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $726 in Lianyungang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,160 in Lianyungang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,593 in Lianyungang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 80% more expensive than in Lianyungang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Lianyungang 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.03 ¥20.29

294.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$17.68 ¥118

167.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.51 ¥30.20

160.53%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.80 ¥18.78

47.14%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.51 ¥3.40

174.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.32 ¥2.15

184.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.13 ¥7.55

184.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.54 ¥17.03

178.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.93 ¥12.90

-12.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.34 ¥8.99

60.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.02 ¥6.81

73.53%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.27 ¥8.53

122.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$16.22 ¥109

-43.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.35 ¥29.14

112.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.90 ¥66.3

27.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.18 ¥7.88

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$0.57 ¥3.81

177.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$0.86 ¥5.73

158.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$0.43 ¥2.88

448.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.71 ¥4.74

180.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.47 ¥3.13

321.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.31 ¥2.11

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.47 ¥3.16

157.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.78 ¥25.31

21.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$14.69 ¥98.4

-28.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.01 ¥6.76

67.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.60 ¥10.73

73.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.29 ¥1.93

106.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$17.52 ¥117

69.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.47 ¥9.86

256.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.44 ¥2.96

729.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$9.10 ¥60.9

-36.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.25 ¥8.36

23.20%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$18.9K ¥126.8K

20.46%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$16.6K ¥111.1K

55.63%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$68.7 ¥460

31.94%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$6.56 ¥43.93

283.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$7.61 ¥51.0

317.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$41.33 ¥277

66.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$14.60 ¥97.8

101.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.48 ¥43.39

-25.00%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$365 ¥2,441

-38.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$17.8K ¥119.0K

-76.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$36.74 ¥246

28.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$37.40 ¥251

16.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$74.1 ¥496

8.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$90.2 ¥604

1.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$293 ¥1,960

270.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$182 ¥1,216

125.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$611 ¥4,090

222.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$367 ¥2,461

248.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$3,197 ¥21.4K

26.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,943 ¥13.0K

245.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$598 ¥4,002

29.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.37

239.76%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lianyungang: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $293 in Lianyungang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 29% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Lianyungang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $204 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 80% 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 29% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $293 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 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $365 in Lianyungang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $726 in Lianyungang versus $1,305 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 $726 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 80% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.