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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,262 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $713 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,158 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,143 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,054 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,573 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 77% more than Zhangzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Zhangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Zhangzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$2.85 ¥19.49

307.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$21.93 ¥150

94.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$4.99 ¥34.10

112.42%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.08 ¥21.02

16.56%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.47 ¥3.21

208.51%

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

$0.87 ¥5.94

248.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$2.15 ¥14.67

112.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$1.81 ¥12.38

-19.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$1.59 ¥10.87

15.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$0.95 ¥6.47

69.47%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$1.59 ¥10.85

59.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$12.72 ¥86.9

-32.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$3.23 ¥22.06

162.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$10.41 ¥71.1

4.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$1.86 ¥12.68

46.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$1.27 ¥8.64

17.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$1.48 ¥10.12

31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$1.14 ¥7.78

89.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$0.69 ¥4.72

168.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$0.97 ¥6.65

125.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.55 ¥3.78

94.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.55 ¥3.76

96.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$3.10 ¥21.17

30.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$10.77 ¥73.5

-2.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$0.74 ¥5.04

122.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$1.58 ¥10.81

61.39%

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

$16.96 ¥116

54.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$1.35 ¥9.22

132.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$0.33 ¥2.22

618.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$6.71 ¥45.86

-51.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.17 ¥7.96

11.97%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$19.4K ¥132.2K

57.80%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$17.3K ¥117.8K

38.07%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$45.62 ¥312

82.24%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$9.69 ¥66.2

128.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$11.87 ¥81.1

147.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$41.38 ¥283

23.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$13.90 ¥94.9

34.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$5.76 ¥39.36

-15.10%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$337 ¥2,300

-41.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$17.0K ¥116.2K

-69.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$43.28 ¥296

-16.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$29.84 ¥204

32.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$72.1 ¥492

11.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$71.9 ¥491

21.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$275 ¥1,881

249.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$194 ¥1,328

147.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$598 ¥4,087

174.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$353 ¥2,414

237.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$3,044 ¥20.8K

30.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$2,003 ¥13.7K

225.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.89

193.57%

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 Zhangzhou: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 in Zhangzhou. 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 $22 in Zhangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $199 – making Zhangzhou 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 Zhangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 77%, 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 $1,069 in Zhangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhangzhou, 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 $713 in Zhangzhou. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Zhangzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhangzhou, where all-in costs run around $713, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,262. In Zhangzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhangzhou – 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 Zhangzhou. 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.