Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Taipei

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,330 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,330

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Taipei actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,330 in Taipei, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Taipei $1,330

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,145 in Taipei, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Taipei $2,145

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,959 in Taipei, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Taipei $2,959

Playa del Carmen is about 9% cheaper than Taipei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Taipei are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Taipei 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$4.70 NT$152

132.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$810

$46.13 NT$1,496

-5.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$5.80 NT$188

103.10%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.2

$3.37 NT$109

13.06%

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

$1.28 MX$23.96

$0.91 NT$29.44

40.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.63

$0.66 NT$21.46

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.2

$2.98 NT$96.6

6.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.2

$3.64 NT$118

35.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.28

$2.95 NT$95.7

-52.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.43

$1.92 NT$62.4

15.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.48

$3.10 NT$100

-54.19%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.14

$2.62 NT$84.8

-3.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$19.04 NT$617

-61.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$9.54 NT$309

-19.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$20.87 NT$677

-39.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.0

$4.72 NT$153

-41.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.56

$3.33 NT$108

-58.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.66

$2.95 NT$95.6

-13.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.67

$4.26 NT$138

-50.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.22

$2.75 NT$89.3

-29.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.24

$2.22 NT$72.1

-14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.42

$1.66 NT$53.8

-30.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.03

$1.08 NT$34.89

9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.3

$3.95 NT$128

8.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$13.89 NT$450

-28.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.59

$1.58 NT$51.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.91

$2.18 NT$70.6

22.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.34

$0.58 NT$18.88

-5.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$497

$36.25 NT$1,175

-26.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.9

$2.54 NT$82.2

95.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.2

$0.75 NT$24.31

344.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$8.99 NT$292

-40.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.98

$1.00 NT$32.44

44.00%

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

$20.7K MX$386.2K

$34.6K NT$1.1M

-40.35%

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

$23.5K MX$438.5K

$23.0K NT$746.8K

1.89%

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

$84.8 MX$1,584

$85.6 NT$2,775

-0.93%

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

$23.41 MX$437

$16.94 NT$549

38.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$535

$26.94 NT$874

6.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,066

$39.55 NT$1,283

44.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$540

$15.36 NT$498

88.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.0

$9.72 NT$315

-47.12%

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

$207 MX$3,860

$710 NT$23.0K

-70.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.4K

$16.3K NT$529.8K

-75.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$810

$62.0 NT$2,010

-30.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$774

$39.30 NT$1,274

5.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,386

$84.1 NT$2,727

-11.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,668

$102 NT$3,298

-12.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$961 NT$31.1K

1.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,116

$456 NT$14.8K

-16.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.9K

$1,511 NT$49.0K

13.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$919 NT$29.8K

16.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.7K

$11.4K NT$369.9K

-65.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.1K

$6,882 NT$223.2K

-10.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$1,703 NT$55.2K

-56.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.4

377.08%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Taipei: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Taipei

$456 34.3% 19.7% $75

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Taipei

$388 29.2% 52.3% $133

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Taipei

$124 9.3% 38.8% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Taipei

$129 9.7% 5.4% $7.4

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Taipei

$129 9.7% 15.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Taipei

$59 4.4% 12.4% $8.3

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Taipei

$45 3.4% 11.1% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $961 in Taipei. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Taipei are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $46 in Taipei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $388 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇼 Taipei

🕒 Local time

06:59 6:59 AM

19:59 7:59 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,635,286 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.09 TWD (100 TWD = 2.77 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Taipei 14,070 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Taipei

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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Taipei is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,995 in Taipei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $961 in Taipei. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,330 in Taipei. That’s a gap of about 10%.

Public transport costs about 27% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,330 in Taipei, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,330 in Taipei. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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