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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,384 in New Taipei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,281 in New Taipei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,179 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 4% below, New Taipei City is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$5.16 NT$163

131.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$34.11 NT$1,077

25.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$5.67 NT$179

86.77%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.94 NT$92.7

23.13%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.89 NT$28.00

65.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.78 NT$24.78

20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.05 NT$64.6

50.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.74 NT$86.4

62.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$3.20 NT$101

-55.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.89 NT$59.8

-0.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$3.01 NT$95.1

-45.85%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.92 NT$92.2

-9.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$20.31 NT$641

-59.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$8.78 NT$277

-5.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$20.32 NT$641

-45.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$4.67 NT$148

-43.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$2.64 NT$83.3

-43.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.73 NT$86.1

-27.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$4.21 NT$133

-50.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$2.81 NT$88.6

-36.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$2.29 NT$72.3

-4.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$2.03 NT$64.1

-46.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.30 NT$41.19

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$4.04 NT$128

-1.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.37 NT$296

8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.65 NT$52.1

4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.34 NT$73.7

6.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.65 NT$20.45

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$41.17 NT$1,300

-34.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.84 NT$89.8

10.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.74 NT$23.48

224.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$10.21 NT$322

-69.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.07 NT$33.81

18.69%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$38.7K NT$1.2M

-20.13%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$28.0K NT$885.3K

-16.86%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$97.4 NT$3,076

-15.84%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$24.77 NT$782

-9.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$24.23 NT$765

22.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$39.12 NT$1,235

32.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$16.27 NT$514

14.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$11.65 NT$368

-57.34%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$633 NT$20.0K

-68.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$18.7K NT$589.8K

-71.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$78.3 NT$2,472

-53.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$34.44 NT$1,087

16.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$95.0 NT$2,998

-15.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$123 NT$3,889

-27.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$655 NT$20.7K

46.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$464 NT$14.6K

0.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$1,731 NT$54.6K

-7.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$1,083 NT$34.2K

11.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$12.7K NT$399.6K

-68.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$7,233 NT$228.4K

-10.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$1,366 NT$43.1K

-47.25%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for New Taipei City: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $655 in New Taipei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Taipei City pays 90% 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 $251 vs $380, 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 8% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $1,384 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 90% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $655 in New Taipei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,384 in New Taipei City – a 8% 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,384 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 8% less than in New Taipei City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.