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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $624 in Nantong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,028 in Nantong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,432 in Nantong.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 108% more expensive than Nantong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Nantong 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.72 ¥18.41

331.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$22.19 ¥150

87.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.56 ¥30.84

133.33%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.54 ¥17.17

38.58%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.41 ¥2.79

268.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.26 ¥1.77

273.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$0.68 ¥4.57

333.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.03 ¥13.76

119.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.53 ¥10.39

-9.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.42 ¥9.60

33.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.60 ¥4.09

173.33%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.47 ¥9.92

70.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.53 ¥44.22

27.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$2.81 ¥19.00

196.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.06 ¥61.3

18.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.16 ¥14.64

20.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.39 ¥9.38

5.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.58 ¥10.71

20.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.20 ¥8.13

73.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.62 ¥4.23

187.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.90 ¥6.07

143.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.73 ¥4.95

42.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.51 ¥3.48

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.07 ¥20.80

32.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$8.73 ¥59.1

18.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$0.88 ¥5.97

94.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.51 ¥10.23

70.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.22 ¥1.49

131.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$20.77 ¥141

27.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.49 ¥10.10

118.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.28 ¥1.91

789.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$8.56 ¥58.0

-62.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.14 ¥7.74

14.91%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$16.9K ¥114.6K

78.81%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$14.7K ¥99.5K

59.35%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$39.15 ¥265

111.67%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$8.14 ¥55.1

172.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$11.20 ¥75.8

161.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$41.80 ¥283

23.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$11.10 ¥75.1

65.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$5.42 ¥36.69

-6.46%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$185 ¥1,251

8.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$11.2K ¥76.1K

-53.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$41.98 ¥284

-12.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$33.36 ¥226

19.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$60.8 ¥411

29.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$82.7 ¥560

5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$209 ¥1,412

366.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$137 ¥926

242.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$729 ¥4,934

125.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$322 ¥2,178

279.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$3,723 ¥25.2K

6.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$2,384 ¥16.1K

172.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,297 ¥8,779

-48.81%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Nantong: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $209 in Nantong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nantong pays 95% 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 Nantong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $168 per month, with Nantong 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 Nantong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Nantong differ by about 108% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $624 including rent). Nantong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Nantong earns 95% 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 $209 in Nantong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $185 in Nantong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $624 in Nantong versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nantong but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nantong 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.

Expats usually find Nantong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.