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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,262 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $710 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,158 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,121 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,054 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,532 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 78% more than Qinhuangdao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Qinhuangdao are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Qinhuangdao 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$2.76 ¥18.88

320.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$740

$21.40 ¥146

99.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$4.80 ¥32.81

120.83%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.2

$3.10 ¥21.18

15.81%

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

$1.45 MX$25.15

$0.46 ¥3.14

215.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.55

$0.29 ¥1.99

210.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.5

$0.87 ¥5.92

248.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.0

$2.04 ¥13.93

123.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.14

$1.85 ¥12.63

-21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.64

$1.61 ¥11.01

13.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.85

$0.91 ¥6.23

76.92%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.95

$1.60 ¥10.94

58.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$12.69 ¥86.7

-32.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$3.25 ¥22.19

160.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.39 ¥71.0

4.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.26

$1.85 ¥12.64

47.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.85

$1.20 ¥8.16

24.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.65

$1.48 ¥10.08

31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.49

$1.13 ¥7.75

91.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.97

$0.70 ¥4.81

164.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.91

$0.96 ¥6.56

128.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.58

$0.60 ¥4.13

78.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$0.51 ¥3.49

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.3

$3.05 ¥20.82

33.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$181

$10.63 ¥72.6

-1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.64

$0.80 ¥5.44

106.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.13

$1.66 ¥11.36

53.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.29 ¥1.98

93.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$454

$16.54 ¥113

58.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.36 ¥9.29

130.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.08

$0.32 ¥2.22

640.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$6.65 ¥45.42

-51.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.76

$1.12 ¥7.67

16.96%

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

$30.5K MX$528.9K

$19.0K ¥130.0K

60.40%

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

$23.8K MX$412.6K

$17.6K ¥120.0K

35.65%

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

$83.1 MX$1,440

$45.98 ¥314

80.82%

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

$22.15 MX$384

$10.01 ¥68.4

121.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$509

$11.87 ¥81.1

147.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$887

$42.20 ¥288

21.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$13.85 ¥94.6

34.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.7

$6.06 ¥41.36

-19.31%

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

$199 MX$3,441

$332 ¥2,267

-40.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.2K

$16.6K ¥113.5K

-68.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$622

$43.79 ¥299

-17.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$682

$30.93 ¥211

27.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,391

$71.9 ¥491

11.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,517

$72.0 ¥491

21.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$276 ¥1,882

249.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,350

$192 ¥1,309

151.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.5K

$593 ¥4,050

177.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.6K

$354 ¥2,418

236.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.5K

$3,072 ¥21.0K

28.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$112.8K

$2,018 ¥13.8K

222.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.89

193.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Last update for Qinhuangdao: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $276 in Qinhuangdao. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $21 in Qinhuangdao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $199 – making Qinhuangdao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Qinhuangdao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 78%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,894 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,066 in Qinhuangdao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qinhuangdao, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,262 in Playa del Carmen and $710 in Qinhuangdao. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Qinhuangdao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Qinhuangdao, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,262. In Qinhuangdao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qinhuangdao – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Qinhuangdao. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.