Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Taitung

For one person, living is cheaper in Taitung: $1,040 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Taitung
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Taitung Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Taitung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,040

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,040 in Taitung, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Taitung $1,040

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,750 in Taitung, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Taitung $1,750

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,460 in Taitung, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Taitung $2,460

Playa del Carmen costs about 16% more than Taitung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Taitung are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Taitung 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$3.71 NT$122

187.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$46.72 NT$1,533

-6.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$5.82 NT$191

102.58%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$3.26 NT$107

16.26%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$0.87 NT$28.50

49.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.67 NT$22.01

23.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$2.95 NT$96.8

6.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$3.60 NT$118

36.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.92 NT$95.9

-51.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$1.79 NT$58.8

22.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$3.07 NT$101

-52.12%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$2.19 NT$71.7

14.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$19.44 NT$638

-62.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$3.59 NT$118

121.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$21.06 NT$691

-38.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$1.87 NT$61.3

55.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$2.69 NT$88.2

-48.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$1.80 NT$59.2

38.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$4.43 NT$145

-54.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$2.76 NT$90.5

-26.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$2.19 NT$71.9

-13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$1.64 NT$53.8

-30.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$1.12 NT$36.74

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$3.82 NT$125

11.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$13.98 NT$459

-29.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.61 NT$52.8

-1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$2.12 NT$69.7

29.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.60 NT$19.75

-15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$34.09 NT$1,119

-19.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$2.56 NT$84.0

85.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.81 NT$26.52

301.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$9.37 NT$308

-42.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.95 NT$31.13

61.05%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$33.9K NT$1.1M

-37.40%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$23.0K NT$755.2K

1.10%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$85.2 NT$2,795

-1.97%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$17.57 NT$577

31.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$26.85 NT$881

2.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$35.26 NT$1,157

60.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$9.08 NT$298

-44.93%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$572 NT$18.8K

-63.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$23.5K NT$771.6K

-77.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$27.39 NT$899

58.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$15.30 NT$502

178.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$48.97 NT$1,607

48.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$104 NT$3,408

-14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$406 NT$13.3K

144.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$277 NT$9,076

38.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$1,140 NT$37.4K

46.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$691 NT$22.7K

56.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$5,806 NT$190.6K

-32.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$3,826 NT$125.6K

60.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$613 NT$20.1K

35.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.37

383.12%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Taitung: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Taitung

$277 26.6% 27.7% $106

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Taitung

$335 32.2% 30.3% $78

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Taitung

$114 11% 42.9% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Taitung

$130 12.5% 3.5% $4.7

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Taitung

$88 8.5% 20.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Taitung

$53 5.1% 19.6% $13

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Taitung

$43 4.1% 14.6% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $406 in Taitung. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 36% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $47 in Taitung. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $335 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇼 Taitung

🕒 Local time

04:23 4:23 AM

17:23 5:23 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

106,368

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

100 TWD = 3.05 USD

100 TWD = 2.71 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 32.82 TWD (100 TWD = 3.05 USD). 1 EUR = 36.88 TWD (100 TWD = 2.71 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Taitung 14,300 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Taitung

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 Taitung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,560 in Taitung. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taitung, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $406 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,040 in Taitung. That makes Taitung about 13% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,040 in Taitung, 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 $1,040 in Taitung to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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