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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,239 in New Taipei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,038 in New Taipei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,837 in New Taipei City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 2% more expensive than in New Taipei City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, New Taipei City 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$4.70 NT$150

146.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$31.51 NT$1,003

49.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$5.23 NT$167

127.15%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.24 NT$71.3

77.68%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.88 NT$28.06

62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.56 NT$17.95

46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.67 NT$53.3

91.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.45 NT$78.1

177.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$3.08 NT$98.2

-45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.82 NT$57.8

20.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.20 NT$70.0

-22.27%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.19 NT$69.6

25.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$25.19 NT$802

-61.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$10.60 NT$338

-15.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$18.94 NT$603

-32.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$4.13 NT$131

-30.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.44 NT$77.8

-38.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.81 NT$89.7

-23.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$3.99 NT$127

-43.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$4.02 NT$128

-50.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.07 NT$66.1

-3.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.64 NT$52.1

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.04 NT$33.18

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$4.46 NT$142

2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.89 NT$283

16.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.49 NT$47.31

8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.01 NT$64.0

43.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.82 NT$26.20

-26.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$37.92 NT$1,208

-24.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$2.82 NT$89.9

91.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.99 NT$31.63

276.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$9.69 NT$309

-40.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.01 NT$32.02

52.48%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$33.9K NT$1.1M

-33.54%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$24.4K NT$776.1K

6.93%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$112 NT$3,560

-18.24%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$16.69 NT$532

50.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$22.96 NT$731

36.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$39.29 NT$1,251

71.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$7.78 NT$248

274.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$12.64 NT$402

-61.55%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$650 NT$20.7K

-65.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$21.2K NT$676.5K

-80.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$35.16 NT$1,120

33.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$31.25 NT$995

41.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$93.8 NT$2,987

-14.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$99.4 NT$3,164

-6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$646 NT$20.6K

64.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$340 NT$10.8K

14.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,396 NT$44.5K

53.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$926 NT$29.5K

37.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$12.4K NT$394.5K

-67.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$7,248 NT$230.9K

-10.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,391 NT$44.3K

-45.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.81

307.47%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for New Taipei City: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $646 in New Taipei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Taipei City pays 83% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in New Taipei City. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $383, 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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,239 including rent). New Taipei City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 83% lower in New Taipei City. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $646 in New Taipei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,239 in New Taipei City – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in New Taipei City runs roughly 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,239 in New Taipei City versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in New Taipei City but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes New Taipei City 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 New Taipei City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.