Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and New Taipei City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and New Taipei City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,362 in New Taipei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,269 in New Taipei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,175 in New Taipei City.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 7% less than in New Taipei City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, New Taipei City is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.04 NT$159

135.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$34.47 NT$1,090

24.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.84 NT$185

82.36%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.92 NT$92.4

18.15%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.94 NT$29.73

59.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.73 NT$23.22

30.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.04 NT$64.4

48.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.64 NT$83.4

74.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$3.21 NT$101

-57.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.91 NT$60.4

-3.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$3.03 NT$95.9

-46.86%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.99 NT$94.5

-13.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$20.14 NT$637

-58.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$8.84 NT$279

-5.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$19.89 NT$629

-46.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$4.53 NT$143

-41.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.57 NT$81.3

-42.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.67 NT$84.3

-28.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.25 NT$134

-50.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.85 NT$90.1

-34.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.28 NT$72.2

-0.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$2.03 NT$64.2

-47.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.28 NT$40.54

-14.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.11 NT$130

0.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.12 NT$288

13.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.66 NT$52.5

3.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.44 NT$77.0

6.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.65 NT$20.66

-16.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$41.25 NT$1,304

-34.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.80 NT$88.4

11.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.72 NT$22.86

248.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$10.19 NT$322

-69.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.07 NT$33.95

18.69%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$37.8K NT$1.2M

-19.71%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.2K NT$858.9K

-13.26%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$97.4 NT$3,079

-14.79%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$24.30 NT$768

-6.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$24.30 NT$768

21.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$39.91 NT$1,262

27.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$16.82 NT$532

8.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$11.99 NT$379

-58.88%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$625 NT$19.7K

-68.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$19.0K NT$601.9K

-72.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$76.6 NT$2,420

-51.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$34.58 NT$1,093

15.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$91.8 NT$2,901

-12.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$122 NT$3,843

-26.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$653 NT$20.6K

46.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$464 NT$14.7K

2.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,693 NT$53.5K

-2.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,074 NT$34.0K

13.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$12.7K NT$402.2K

-69.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$7,441 NT$235.2K

-13.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,400 NT$44.3K

-52.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

2.19

421.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for New Taipei City: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $653 in New Taipei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Taipei City pays 110% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in New Taipei City. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $378, 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 New Taipei City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and New Taipei City differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,362 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, New Taipei City earns 110% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $653 in New Taipei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,362 in New Taipei City – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 53% less than in New Taipei City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,362 in New Taipei City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in New Taipei City. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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 New Taipei City 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in New Taipei City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.