Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Qinhuangdao

For one person, living is cheaper in Qinhuangdao: $714 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Qinhuangdao
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Qinhuangdao Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Qinhuangdao

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Qinhuangdao

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Qinhuangdao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $714 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Qinhuangdao $714

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,135 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Qinhuangdao $1,135

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,556 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Qinhuangdao $1,556

Playa del Carmen costs about 69% more than Qinhuangdao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Qinhuangdao are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Qinhuangdao 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$203

$2.76 ¥18.36

293.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$826

$21.79 ¥145

102.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$220

$4.88 ¥32.50

140.98%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.8

$3.04 ¥20.24

21.05%

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

$1.34 MX$25.06

$0.47 ¥3.12

185.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.41

$0.27 ¥1.78

203.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$57.2

$0.92 ¥6.15

232.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$92.2

$2.13 ¥14.18

131.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.46

$1.85 ¥12.31

-20.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.39

$1.55 ¥10.33

43.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.62

$0.89 ¥5.92

66.29%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$46.50

$1.53 ¥10.20

62.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$140

$13.05 ¥86.9

-42.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$149

$3.11 ¥20.71

155.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$235

$10.33 ¥68.8

21.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$1.87 ¥12.46

48.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.66

$1.25 ¥8.32

14.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.90

$1.47 ¥9.77

78.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.92

$1.15 ¥7.63

86.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.79

$0.73 ¥4.87

176.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$37.14

$0.95 ¥6.33

109.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.24

$0.60 ¥3.99

90.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.42

$0.51 ¥3.41

135.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$79.6

$3.05 ¥20.32

39.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$187

$10.69 ¥71.2

-6.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.72

$0.79 ¥5.25

94.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.71

$1.64 ¥10.89

62.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.84

$0.27 ¥1.78

96.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$514

$16.97 ¥113

62.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$91.6

$1.42 ¥9.48

245.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$64.2

$0.33 ¥2.18

939.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$100

$6.62 ¥44.04

-18.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$27.05

$1.14 ¥7.58

27.19%

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

$21.2K MX$395.3K

$19.2K ¥127.8K

10.17%

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

$23.0K MX$430.0K

$17.1K ¥113.8K

34.62%

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

$85.4 MX$1,595

$44.64 ¥297

91.22%

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

$23.46 MX$438

$9.87 ¥65.7

137.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$531

$11.90 ¥79.2

138.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,162

$42.14 ¥281

47.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$536

$14.09 ¥93.8

103.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$95.4

$5.79 ¥38.55

-11.92%

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

$201 MX$3,756

$337 ¥2,244

-40.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$73.7K

$17.2K ¥114.2K

-76.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$829

$44.18 ¥294

0.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$773

$30.35 ¥202

36.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,359

$71.8 ¥478

1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,674

$70.6 ¥470

26.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.3K

$276 ¥1,835

255.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,963

$191 ¥1,272

95.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.4K

$601 ¥3,998

179.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.5K

$362 ¥2,413

202.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.8K

$3,063 ¥20.4K

28.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$114.6K

$2,068 ¥13.8K

196.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.89

194.34%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Qinhuangdao: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Qinhuangdao

$191 26.8% 48.7% $182

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Qinhuangdao

$199 27.9% 22.9% $59

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Qinhuangdao

$85 11.9% 57.5% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Qinhuangdao

$66 9.3% 51.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Qinhuangdao

$98 13.7% 12.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Qinhuangdao

$54 7.5% 25.8% $19

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Qinhuangdao

$21 3% 59.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 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 $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $22 in Qinhuangdao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $199 – making Qinhuangdao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇳 Qinhuangdao

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

05:37 5:37 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,987,605

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.68 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.92 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Qinhuangdao 12,730 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Qinhuangdao

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,071 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $276 there versus $979 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $714 in Qinhuangdao. That’s a gap of about 69%.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Qinhuangdao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Qinhuangdao, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Qinhuangdao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $714 in Qinhuangdao to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Qinhuangdao is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 69% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.