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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $899 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,651 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,404 in Miaoli.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 44% more expensive than Miaoli, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Miaoli 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.49 NT$110

236.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$25.88 NT$815

60.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.03 NT$158

111.53%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.84 NT$89.3

23.94%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.11 NT$34.88

36.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.69 NT$21.86

40.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.71 NT$53.7

72.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.59 NT$81.4

71.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$3.10 NT$97.5

-55.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.45 NT$45.58

30.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.52 NT$79.4

-34.92%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.29 NT$71.9

9.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.25 NT$291

-9.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$8.14 NT$256

2.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$20.58 NT$648

-47.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.33 NT$105

-21.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.04 NT$32.67

40.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.71 NT$85.2

-29.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$3.05 NT$95.9

-31.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.39 NT$75.4

-25.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.90 NT$59.7

15.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$2.87 NT$90.4

-63.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.93 NT$29.16

16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$6.46 NT$203

-36.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$11.19 NT$352

-7.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.85 NT$58.3

-7.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.37 NT$74.5

8.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.87 NT$27.54

-41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$39.63 NT$1,247

-33.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.00 NT$94.3

8.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.73 NT$22.84

241.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$8.25 NT$260

-60.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.07 NT$33.64

22.43%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$36.6K NT$1.2M

-17.27%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$26.2K NT$823.6K

-10.45%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$64.4 NT$2,027

28.68%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$28.45 NT$895

-21.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$18.94 NT$596

54.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$36.89 NT$1,161

39.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$15.01 NT$473

22.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$10.21 NT$321

-50.34%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$566 NT$17.8K

-64.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$30.4K NT$958.1K

-82.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$31.72 NT$999

16.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$23.77 NT$748

67.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$68.8 NT$2,166

14.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$103 NT$3,233

-15.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$345 NT$10.9K

181.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$168 NT$5,279

178.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,039 NT$32.7K

58.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$730 NT$23.0K

67.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$2,471 NT$77.8K

-73.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

471.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $345 in Miaoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 272% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Miaoli. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $314, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Miaoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Miaoli differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $899 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Miaoli earns 272% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $345 in Miaoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Miaoli – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 in Miaoli versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miaoli but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Miaoli the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Miaoli are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Miaoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.