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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $609 in Linyi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,020 in Linyi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,430 in Linyi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 111% more expensive than Linyi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Linyi 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.89 ¥26.63

206.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$30.27 ¥207

41.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.37 ¥43.61

66.25%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.23 ¥22.14

12.07%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.57 ¥3.92

157.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.27 ¥1.86

248.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.09 ¥7.44

183.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.11 ¥14.48

111.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.72 ¥11.80

-16.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.53 ¥10.45

22.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.41 ¥2.81

297.56%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.28 ¥8.73

106.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$12.79 ¥87.6

-35.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.10 ¥21.20

167.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$11.32 ¥77.5

-1.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.03 ¥7.05

157.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.94 ¥6.45

59.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.81 ¥5.56

145.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.10 ¥7.51

89.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.73 ¥4.98

145.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.39 ¥2.70

458.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.61 ¥4.15

77.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.62 ¥4.23

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.06 ¥20.96

29.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$10.04 ¥68.8

1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.58 ¥3.94

198.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.28 ¥8.77

95.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.29 ¥1.99

79.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$16.77 ¥115

60.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.37 ¥9.40

129.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.33 ¥2.24

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.48 ¥44.39

-52.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.09 ¥7.48

16.51%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$13.6K ¥93.5K

126.27%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$16.9K ¥116.1K

37.58%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$45.33 ¥311

80.92%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.71 ¥66.5

131.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$11.63 ¥79.6

155.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$18.30 ¥125

183.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$13.98 ¥95.8

33.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.21 ¥42.55

-19.97%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$197 ¥1,351

0.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$6,342 ¥43.4K

-16.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$70.7 ¥484

-48.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$24.60 ¥169

62.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$77.4 ¥530

3.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$72.9 ¥499

22.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$156 ¥1,066

519.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$91.9 ¥630

405.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$317 ¥2,171

403.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$223 ¥1,526

442.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,037 ¥7,102

521.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$793 ¥5,429

-9.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.87

195.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Linyi: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $156 in Linyi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Linyi pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Linyi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $185 per month, with Linyi 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 Linyi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Linyi wins on cost – living expenses run 111% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Linyi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Linyi earns 10% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $156 in Linyi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $197 in Linyi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $609 in Linyi versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Linyi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Linyi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Linyi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $609 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Linyi hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Linyi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.