Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Zhangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangzhou: $716 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

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

Cost of Living Index in Zhangzhou
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Zhangzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Zhangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $716 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Zhangzhou $716

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,132 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Zhangzhou $1,132

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,547 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Zhangzhou $1,547

Playa del Carmen costs about 68% more than Zhangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Zhangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Zhangzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$2.74 ¥18.35

296.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$21.73 ¥145

103.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$4.80 ¥32.11

145.00%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$3.05 ¥20.39

20.66%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.47 ¥3.16

185.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.27 ¥1.78

203.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$0.90 ¥6.01

240.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$2.06 ¥13.75

139.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.81 ¥12.13

-18.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.59 ¥10.65

39.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$0.90 ¥6.03

64.44%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$1.55 ¥10.35

60.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$12.58 ¥84.1

-40.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$3.15 ¥21.08

152.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$10.14 ¥67.8

23.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$1.86 ¥12.45

49.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.25 ¥8.36

14.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.48 ¥9.91

77.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.10 ¥7.38

94.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.73 ¥4.88

176.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$0.91 ¥6.11

118.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.55 ¥3.70

107.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.56 ¥3.72

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$3.06 ¥20.49

39.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$10.62 ¥71.0

-5.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$0.73 ¥4.89

110.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.58 ¥10.55

68.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.29 ¥1.95

82.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$16.89 ¥113

62.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$1.41 ¥9.43

247.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.32 ¥2.17

971.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$6.55 ¥43.79

-17.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.12 ¥7.48

29.46%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$19.1K ¥127.9K

10.63%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$17.2K ¥115.3K

33.50%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$45.55 ¥305

87.40%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$9.74 ¥65.1

140.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$11.81 ¥79.0

140.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$41.19 ¥275

50.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$13.66 ¥91.4

109.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$5.94 ¥39.75

-14.14%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$337 ¥2,251

-40.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$16.7K ¥111.4K

-76.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$43.23 ¥289

2.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$30.11 ¥201

37.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$71.1 ¥476

2.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$72.8 ¥487

23.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$282 ¥1,886

247.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$196 ¥1,308

90.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$584 ¥3,902

188.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$361 ¥2,411

203.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,977 ¥19.9K

32.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$2,003 ¥13.4K

206.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

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 17, 2026

Last update for Zhangzhou: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Zhangzhou

$196 27.3% 47.5% $177

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Zhangzhou

$197 27.5% 23.8% $61

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Zhangzhou

$85 11.8% 57.8% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Zhangzhou

$67 9.4% 51.1% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Zhangzhou

$98 13.7% 12.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Zhangzhou

$53 7.4% 26.7% $19

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Zhangzhou

$21 2.9% 59.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $282 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Zhangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $197 – making Zhangzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇳 Zhangzhou

🕒 Local time

21:27 9:27 PM

10:27 10:27 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

4,809,983

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Zhangzhou 14,330 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Zhangzhou

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 Zhangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,074 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $716 in Zhangzhou. That's a gap of about 68%.

Public transport costs about 63% 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 $716, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. 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.