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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $728 in Liuzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,126 in Liuzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,523 in Liuzhou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 73% more than Liuzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Liuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Liuzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.55 ¥17.26

370.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$15.47 ¥105

170.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$3.60 ¥24.33

198.61%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.44 ¥23.24

1.74%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.55 ¥3.69

163.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.25 ¥1.70

252.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$0.95 ¥6.40

210.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.11 ¥14.28

113.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.65 ¥11.13

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$2.15 ¥14.51

-14.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.70 ¥11.48

-7.65%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.48 ¥10.03

69.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$12.62 ¥85.3

-34.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.42 ¥23.11

146.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.92 ¥73.8

-2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.63 ¥11.02

60.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.04 ¥7.04

38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.35 ¥9.15

45.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.12 ¥14.31

-1.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.67 ¥4.50

176.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.91 ¥6.18

138.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.91 ¥6.16

13.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.13 ¥7.65

-5.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.60 ¥24.35

13.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.75 ¥65.9

4.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.83 ¥5.57

102.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.85 ¥19.28

-11.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.27 ¥1.80

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$16.56 ¥112

57.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.36 ¥9.18

137.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.28 ¥1.91

760.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$6.88 ¥46.47

-53.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.27 ¥8.55

3.94%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$15.5K ¥104.5K

91.97%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$12.6K ¥85.4K

87.27%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$44.42 ¥300

84.62%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$9.69 ¥65.5

136.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.52 ¥71.1

186.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$74.3 ¥502

-30.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.88 ¥93.8

33.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.76 ¥32.14

4.62%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$230 ¥1,557

-14.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$17.2K ¥116.5K

-69.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$38.73 ¥262

-8.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$23.13 ¥156

74.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$59.3 ¥401

32.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$52.5 ¥354

69.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$223 ¥1,505

325.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$171 ¥1,157

176.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$383 ¥2,587

329.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$294 ¥1,989

311.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$3,117 ¥21.1K

30.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,826 ¥12.3K

254.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$580 ¥3,921

12.69%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Liuzhou: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $223 in Liuzhou. 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 13% 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 $15.00 in Liuzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $219 – making Liuzhou 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 Liuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $728 in Liuzhou – roughly 73% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,092 in Liuzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 13% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $15.00 in Liuzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Liuzhou, where all-in costs run around $728, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Liuzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $728 in Liuzhou to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Liuzhou. 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.