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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $719 in Longyan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,119 in Longyan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,518 in Longyan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 79% more than Longyan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Longyan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Longyan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$2.84 ¥19.43

320.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$21.28 ¥146

100.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.67 ¥38.85

86.77%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.13 ¥14.60

69.95%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.50 ¥3.44

194.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.29 ¥2.01

224.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.06 ¥7.28

191.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.55 ¥10.65

187.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.85 ¥12.69

-22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.42 ¥9.72

32.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.72 ¥4.92

126.39%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.40 ¥9.59

88.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$11.03 ¥75.6

-25.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$2.28 ¥15.65

263.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$11.00 ¥75.4

0.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.43 ¥16.64

9.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.33 ¥9.11

12.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.56 ¥10.66

27.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.92 ¥13.16

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.98 ¥6.68

82.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.63 ¥11.18

33.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.80 ¥5.51

35.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.55 ¥3.75

89.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.71 ¥18.56

46.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$24.32 ¥167

-58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.73 ¥5.02

136.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.59 ¥10.87

57.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.27 ¥1.84

92.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$16.57 ¥114

62.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.38 ¥9.45

127.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.28 ¥1.93

757.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.74 ¥46.19

-54.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.18 ¥8.08

7.63%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$16.3K ¥111.7K

89.40%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$17.2K ¥117.8K

35.56%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$39.30 ¥269

108.68%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.97 ¥68.3

125.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$11.58 ¥79.3

156.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$41.49 ¥284

25.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$13.77 ¥94.3

35.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.01 ¥48.01

-29.10%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$455 ¥3,113

-56.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$17.0K ¥116.4K

-68.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$27.30 ¥187

33.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$13.81 ¥94.6

190.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$69.5 ¥476

14.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$80.9 ¥554

9.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$281 ¥1,925

242.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$190 ¥1,301

144.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$581 ¥3,977

174.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$356 ¥2,438

239.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,791 ¥19.1K

41.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,956 ¥13.4K

229.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$480 ¥3,287

50.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.56

220.79%

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 Longyan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $281 in Longyan. 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 50% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $21.00 in Longyan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $226 – making Longyan 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 Longyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $719 in Longyan – roughly 79% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,079 in Longyan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 63% less in Longyan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $455 in Longyan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Longyan, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Longyan 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 $719 in Longyan to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Longyan. 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.