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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $689 in Liaocheng, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,070 in Liaocheng, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,451 in Liaocheng, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 83% more than Liaocheng, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Liaocheng are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Liaocheng 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$2.84 ¥19.23

320.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$12.71 ¥86.0

229.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$6.06 ¥41.02

71.95%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$1.70 ¥11.51

106.47%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$0.38 ¥2.54

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.85

$0.25 ¥1.68

264.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$0.79 ¥5.34

284.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$2.26 ¥15.29

93.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$1.83 ¥12.38

-22.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$1.55 ¥10.51

18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$0.91 ¥6.16

79.12%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$1.62 ¥10.95

56.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$12.68 ¥85.8

-32.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$3.18 ¥21.53

166.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$10.19 ¥69.0

5.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.74 ¥11.76

58.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.26 ¥8.56

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.84

$1.35 ¥9.17

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$1.10 ¥7.41

97.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$0.71 ¥4.84

150.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$0.91 ¥6.17

143.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$0.59 ¥4.02

81.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.51 ¥3.45

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$3.21 ¥21.70

29.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$10.00 ¥67.6

4.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$0.73 ¥4.95

138.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.93

$1.59 ¥10.79

62.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.29 ¥1.97

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$16.98 ¥115

52.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$1.35 ¥9.15

137.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$0.32 ¥2.19

681.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$6.69 ¥45.28

-52.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.12 ¥7.57

12.50%

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

$29.7K MX$516.7K

$19.4K ¥131.5K

52.72%

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

$23.7K MX$412.2K

$16.9K ¥114.1K

40.39%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$45.08 ¥305

81.97%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$9.93 ¥67.2

128.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$11.71 ¥79.2

151.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$42.26 ¥286

23.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$14.09 ¥95.3

30.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$6.16 ¥41.64

-19.97%

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

$202 MX$3,512

$333 ¥2,252

-39.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$17.1K ¥116.0K

-69.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$38.17 ¥258

-5.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$27.57 ¥187

46.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$64.9 ¥439

23.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$56.1 ¥379

59.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$281 ¥1,898

238.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,098

$188 ¥1,270

147.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$585 ¥3,958

178.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$363 ¥2,456

228.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.5K

$3,157 ¥21.4K

24.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$1,299 ¥8,789

394.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$585 ¥3,961

12.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.92

191.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Liaocheng: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $281 in Liaocheng. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $13.00 in Liaocheng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $195 – making Liaocheng the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Liaocheng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 83%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,034 in Liaocheng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Liaocheng, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Liaocheng. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $333 in Liaocheng. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Liaocheng, where all-in costs run around $689, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. In Liaocheng it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Liaocheng – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Liaocheng. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.