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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,262 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $750 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,158 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,239 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,054 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,729 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 68% more than Zhangjiagang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Zhangjiagang are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Zhangjiagang 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$3.57 ¥24.37

225.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$26.64 ¥182

60.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$4.81 ¥32.84

120.37%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.36 ¥22.94

6.85%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.52 ¥3.57

178.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.29 ¥1.99

210.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.08 ¥7.38

180.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$1.63 ¥11.13

179.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$2.03 ¥13.88

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$1.93 ¥13.18

-5.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$1.00 ¥6.85

61.00%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$1.79 ¥12.19

41.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$17.19 ¥117

-50.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$2.60 ¥17.75

225.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$9.39 ¥64.2

15.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$1.99 ¥13.56

37.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$1.75 ¥11.93

-14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$1.58 ¥10.78

22.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$1.26 ¥8.59

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$0.76 ¥5.20

143.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$0.92 ¥6.28

138.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.67 ¥4.61

59.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.53 ¥3.63

103.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$4.07 ¥27.77

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$13.40 ¥91.5

-21.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$0.70 ¥4.81

135.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$1.64 ¥11.21

55.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.29 ¥2.00

93.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$16.72 ¥114

56.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$1.76 ¥12.03

78.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$0.26 ¥1.77

811.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$6.10 ¥41.63

-46.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.17 ¥8.01

11.97%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$19.1K ¥130.7K

59.55%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$16.8K ¥114.7K

41.80%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$43.69 ¥298

90.30%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$11.60 ¥79.2

90.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$11.33 ¥77.4

159.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$41.07 ¥281

24.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$13.85 ¥94.6

34.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$6.14 ¥41.90

-20.36%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$442 ¥3,019

-55.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$17.2K ¥117.3K

-69.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$58.0 ¥396

-38.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$34.83 ¥238

13.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$72.4 ¥495

10.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$93.3 ¥638

-6.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$275 ¥1,879

250.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$191 ¥1,305

152.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$590 ¥4,027

179.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$361 ¥2,466

230.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$3,613 ¥24.7K

9.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$1,791 ¥12.2K

263.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.83

198.17%

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 Zhangjiagang: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 in Zhangjiagang. 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 $27 in Zhangjiagang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $223 – making Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 68%, 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 $1,124 in Zhangjiagang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhangjiagang, 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 $750 in Zhangjiagang. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Zhangjiagang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhangjiagang, where all-in costs run around $750, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,262. In Zhangjiagang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhangjiagang – 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 Zhangjiagang. 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.