Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tengzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Tengzhou: $706 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

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

Cost of Living Index in Tengzhou
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Tengzhou Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Tengzhou

🇨🇳 China

$706

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $706 in Tengzhou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Tengzhou $706

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,119 in Tengzhou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Tengzhou $1,119

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,532 in Tengzhou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Tengzhou $1,532

Playa del Carmen costs about 72% more than Tengzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tengzhou are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Tengzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$200

$2.76 ¥18.44

297.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$819

$21.31 ¥142

110.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$218

$4.93 ¥32.95

141.78%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.5

$3.00 ¥20.03

26.67%

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

$1.31 MX$23.95

$0.46 ¥3.08

184.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.63

$0.27 ¥1.80

218.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$58.6

$0.89 ¥5.98

260.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$91.5

$2.13 ¥14.22

135.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.62

$1.88 ¥12.57

-22.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.48

$1.61 ¥10.78

44.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.34

$0.89 ¥5.92

61.80%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.94

$1.61 ¥10.78

52.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$13.04 ¥87.1

-40.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$144

$3.22 ¥21.51

145.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$234

$10.37 ¥69.3

23.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.3

$1.89 ¥12.62

54.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.96

$1.20 ¥7.99

18.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.84

$1.54 ¥10.30

66.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.02

$1.10 ¥7.34

94.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.55

$0.74 ¥4.96

163.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.35

$0.96 ¥6.40

102.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.01

$0.56 ¥3.71

105.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.29

$0.54 ¥3.62

125.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$79.9

$3.16 ¥21.10

38.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$180

$10.59 ¥70.8

-6.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.07

$0.75 ¥5.03

105.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.58

$1.64 ¥10.99

65.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.58

$0.27 ¥1.78

92.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$501

$16.90 ¥113

62.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$89.7

$1.42 ¥9.51

245.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.3

$0.36 ¥2.38

877.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$6.58 ¥44.01

-13.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.12

$1.14 ¥7.60

35.09%

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

$21.2K MX$387.8K

$19.1K ¥127.9K

10.94%

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

$24.5K MX$447.1K

$17.4K ¥116.2K

40.88%

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

$83.6 MX$1,527

$45.69 ¥305

82.99%

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

$24.03 MX$439

$9.60 ¥64.1

150.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$536

$11.51 ¥76.9

154.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,184

$41.70 ¥279

55.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$538

$13.99 ¥93.5

110.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$92.9

$5.89 ¥39.35

-13.58%

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

$208 MX$3,792

$332 ¥2,218

-37.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.9K

$17.0K ¥113.3K

-76.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$813

$44.63 ¥298

-0.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$768

$30.06 ¥201

39.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,379

$70.5 ¥471

7.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,668

$72.2 ¥482

26.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.0K

$280 ¥1,872

252.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,033

$192 ¥1,281

100.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.3K

$602 ¥4,020

184.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.2K

$354 ¥2,368

212.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.3K

$3,029 ¥20.2K

32.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.1K

$2,037 ¥13.6K

206.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 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 4, 2026

Last update for Tengzhou: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Tengzhou

$192 26.8% 50.2% $193

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Tengzhou

$201 28% 22.9% $60

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Tengzhou

$84 11.8% 58.6% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Tengzhou

$67 9.3% 51.2% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Tengzhou

$98 13.7% 14.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Tengzhou

$53 7.5% 28.7% $22

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Tengzhou

$21 3% 59.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 in Tengzhou. 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $21.00 in Tengzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $201 – making Tengzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇳 Tengzhou

🕒 Local time

02:54 2:54 AM

15:54 3:54 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,553,200

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.48 USD

100 MXN = 4.89 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.26 MXN (100 MXN = 5.48 USD). 1 EUR = 20.46 MXN (100 MXN = 4.89 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Tengzhou 13,310 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Tengzhou

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 Tengzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,059 in Tengzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tengzhou, 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 $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $706 in Tengzhou. That's a gap of about 72%.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Tengzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tengzhou, where all-in costs run around $706, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. In Tengzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tengzhou. 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.