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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $719 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,142 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,565 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 80% more than Zhangzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Zhangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Zhangzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$2.78 ¥18.78

321.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$21.22 ¥144

96.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$4.74 ¥32.05

124.47%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.4

$3.08 ¥20.87

14.29%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$0.47 ¥3.16

221.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.27 ¥1.82

259.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$0.93 ¥6.28

217.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$2.03 ¥13.76

119.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.88 ¥12.70

-26.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.03

$1.60 ¥10.83

18.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$0.97 ¥6.54

69.07%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$1.54 ¥10.44

62.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$12.86 ¥87.0

-35.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$3.28 ¥22.21

154.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$10.24 ¥69.3

4.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.47

$1.79 ¥12.11

45.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.25 ¥8.48

16.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.49 ¥10.07

27.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$1.13 ¥7.65

84.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$0.73 ¥4.96

143.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$0.89 ¥6.05

146.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.61 ¥4.12

70.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.51 ¥3.45

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$3.16 ¥21.38

29.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$10.40 ¥70.3

-0.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$0.73 ¥4.95

134.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.97

$1.67 ¥11.27

54.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.27 ¥1.81

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$16.56 ¥112

59.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$1.42 ¥9.62

129.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.50

$0.33 ¥2.20

654.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$6.51 ¥44.02

-50.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.13 ¥7.66

15.93%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$19.8K ¥133.7K

53.18%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$16.9K ¥114.6K

38.35%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$45.97 ¥311

80.27%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$9.89 ¥66.9

124.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$11.86 ¥80.3

147.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$41.48 ¥281

24.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$14.20 ¥96.0

29.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$5.89 ¥39.88

-13.92%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$331 ¥2,240

-39.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$16.7K ¥113.1K

-68.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$43.41 ¥294

-14.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$30.47 ¥206

30.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$71.3 ¥482

10.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$72.7 ¥492

19.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$275 ¥1,860

253.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,168

$193 ¥1,304

142.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$591 ¥3,998

177.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$360 ¥2,436

239.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$3,009 ¥20.4K

31.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$2,044 ¥13.8K

217.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Zhangzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $21.00 in Zhangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 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 80%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,079 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $719 in Zhangzhou. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 60% 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 $719, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.