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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $595 in Linyi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $950 in Linyi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,305 in Linyi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 113% more expensive than in Linyi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Linyi 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.35 ¥15.73

393.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$24.11 ¥161

95.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.07 ¥33.94

134.32%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.46 ¥16.48

61.79%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.44 ¥2.96

225.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.21 ¥1.40

290.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$0.87 ¥5.80

266.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.03 ¥13.57

234.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.58 ¥10.56

6.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.39 ¥9.31

58.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.42 ¥2.81

307.14%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.18 ¥7.92

132.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.18 ¥61.5

4.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$1.77 ¥11.82

409.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$11.27 ¥75.5

13.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.13 ¥7.56

155.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.07 ¥7.14

40.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.00 ¥6.72

115.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.93 ¥6.25

143.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.46 ¥3.10

330.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.41 ¥2.75

385.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.56 ¥3.77

119.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.67 ¥4.48

79.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.50 ¥30.15

1.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.78 ¥65.5

6.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$0.71 ¥4.77

128.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.31 ¥8.75

119.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.29 ¥1.92

106.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.07 ¥7.14

403.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.29 ¥1.93

1186.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$4.34 ¥29.04

32.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.10 ¥7.39

40.00%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$16.7K ¥111.8K

35.14%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$14.6K ¥97.8K

78.43%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$71.3 ¥477

28.25%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$4.77 ¥31.92

428.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$5.12 ¥34.31

510.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$53.7 ¥359

25.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$25.70 ¥172

13.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.11 ¥34.24

-4.89%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$216 ¥1,448

3.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$10.4K ¥69.5K

-59.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$22.70 ¥152

107.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$22.04 ¥148

100.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$71.7 ¥480

11.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$68.3 ¥458

35.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$210 ¥1,410

404.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$113 ¥755

246.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$499 ¥3,344

330.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$205 ¥1,374

520.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,516 ¥10.2K

164.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$999 ¥6,689

551.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$779 ¥5,216

-2.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.13

265.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Linyi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $210 in Linyi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Linyi pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Linyi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $165 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 113% 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, salaries run 3% lower in Linyi. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $210 in Linyi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $595 in Linyi – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $595 in Linyi versus $1,266 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 $595 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 113% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.