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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $838 in Nanjing.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,314 in Nanjing.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,791 in Nanjing.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 50% more expensive than in Nanjing, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Nanjing 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.86 ¥19.32

319.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$22.34 ¥151

87.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.79 ¥32.36

124.43%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.17 ¥21.45

10.41%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.41 ¥2.77

253.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.26 ¥1.76

238.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$0.86 ¥5.81

243.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.04 ¥13.76

121.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.31 ¥15.62

-38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$2.16 ¥14.57

-14.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.83 ¥5.59

89.16%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.54 ¥10.39

62.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$8.92 ¥60.3

-7.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$2.73 ¥18.46

208.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$9.14 ¥61.8

16.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.22 ¥15.02

17.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.38 ¥9.33

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.61 ¥10.86

21.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.15 ¥7.78

81.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.86 ¥5.83

115.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.97 ¥6.58

123.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.87 ¥5.87

18.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.61 ¥4.12

75.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.58 ¥24.22

14.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$13.08 ¥88.4

-22.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.92 ¥6.24

82.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.49 ¥10.04

69.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.27 ¥1.82

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$27.63 ¥187

-5.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.56 ¥10.57

107.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.36 ¥2.41

569.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$8.27 ¥55.9

-60.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.17 ¥7.90

12.82%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$17.4K ¥117.6K

70.69%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$14.6K ¥98.8K

61.83%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$42.14 ¥285

94.61%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$11.04 ¥74.6

107.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$11.01 ¥74.4

173.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$26.17 ¥177

98.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$28.55 ¥193

-35.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.47 ¥36.96

-8.96%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$410 ¥2,768

-51.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$18.5K ¥125.0K

-71.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$42.77 ¥289

-16.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$32.33 ¥218

24.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$69.3 ¥468

13.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$84.4 ¥570

5.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$428 ¥2,891

121.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$308 ¥2,080

53.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$888 ¥6,000

85.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$552 ¥3,729

119.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$5,328 ¥36.0K

-23.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$3,074 ¥20.8K

110.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,341 ¥9,063

-51.24%

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 Nanjing: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $428 in Nanjing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanjing pays 105% 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 $22.00 in Nanjing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $203 per month, with Nanjing 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 Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanjing is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 105% lower in Nanjing. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $428 in Nanjing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nanjing – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $838 in Nanjing – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $838 in Nanjing versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nanjing but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nanjing the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nanjing is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Nanjing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.