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 $1,262 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $687 in Liaocheng, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,158 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,059 in Liaocheng, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,054 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,431 in Liaocheng, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 84% 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 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$2.82 ¥19.23

311.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$12.69 ¥86.7

236.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$5.82 ¥39.76

82.13%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$1.72 ¥11.75

108.72%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.38 ¥2.58

281.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.25 ¥1.70

260.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$0.74 ¥5.05

309.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$2.26 ¥15.45

101.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$1.76 ¥12.01

-17.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$1.60 ¥10.91

14.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$0.95 ¥6.50

69.47%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$1.59 ¥10.84

59.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$12.62 ¥86.2

-32.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$3.24 ¥22.12

161.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$10.31 ¥70.4

5.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$1.75 ¥11.94

56.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$1.22 ¥8.33

22.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$1.42 ¥9.73

36.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$1.13 ¥7.71

91.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$0.71 ¥4.88

160.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$0.95 ¥6.52

130.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.59 ¥4.03

81.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.51 ¥3.49

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$3.05 ¥20.83

33.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$10.19 ¥69.6

2.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$0.80 ¥5.46

106.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$1.64 ¥11.18

55.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.29 ¥2.00

93.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$16.49 ¥113

58.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$1.38 ¥9.42

127.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$0.35 ¥2.41

577.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$6.85 ¥46.77

-52.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.12 ¥7.64

16.96%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$19.4K ¥132.6K

57.31%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$16.7K ¥114.2K

42.49%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$46.13 ¥315

80.23%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$10.04 ¥68.6

120.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$11.67 ¥79.7

151.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$42.24 ¥288

21.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$13.96 ¥95.4

33.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$6.18 ¥42.19

-20.87%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$330 ¥2,253

-39.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$16.9K ¥115.4K

-69.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$38.85 ¥265

-7.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$27.82 ¥190

41.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$66.9 ¥457

20.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$56.8 ¥388

54.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$283 ¥1,932

240.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$184 ¥1,260

161.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$580 ¥3,965

183.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$364 ¥2,485

227.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$3,213 ¥21.9K

23.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$1,284 ¥8,771

407.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$576 ¥3,936

26.02%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Liaocheng: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $283 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 26% 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $13 in Liaocheng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $196 – 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 84%, 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 $1,894 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,030 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 59% less in Liaocheng. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $199 per month in Playa del Carmen and $330 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 $687, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,262. 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.