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 $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $726 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,131 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,535 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 73% 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 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$2.86 ¥19.36

317.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$21.75 ¥147

92.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$4.93 ¥33.40

111.36%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$2.99 ¥20.27

17.39%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$0.47 ¥3.18

223.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.84

$0.29 ¥1.98

213.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$0.95 ¥6.43

220.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$2.05 ¥13.87

113.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$1.80 ¥12.19

-21.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$1.57 ¥10.61

16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$0.96 ¥6.49

69.79%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$1.54 ¥10.45

64.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$12.89 ¥87.3

-33.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$3.25 ¥22.03

161.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$10.14 ¥68.7

6.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.94

$1.81 ¥12.24

51.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.22 ¥8.24

18.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.83

$1.47 ¥9.97

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$1.13 ¥7.67

92.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$0.70 ¥4.73

154.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$0.90 ¥6.07

146.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$0.57 ¥3.85

87.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.54 ¥3.69

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$3.15 ¥21.30

31.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$10.61 ¥71.8

-1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$0.80 ¥5.40

117.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.92

$1.64 ¥11.10

57.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.27 ¥1.82

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$451

$16.54 ¥112

56.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$1.36 ¥9.23

136.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$0.33 ¥2.23

657.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$6.80 ¥46.03

-53.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.16 ¥7.89

8.62%

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

$29.7K MX$516.6K

$19.6K ¥132.7K

51.49%

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

$23.7K MX$412.1K

$17.1K ¥116.1K

38.15%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$44.85 ¥304

82.90%

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

$22.73 MX$395

$10.09 ¥68.4

125.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$11.80 ¥79.9

149.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$41.11 ¥278

26.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$13.84 ¥93.7

33.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$5.99 ¥40.53

-17.70%

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

$202 MX$3,511

$334 ¥2,262

-39.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$16.7K ¥113.3K

-68.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$44.31 ¥300

-18.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.93 ¥203

34.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$71.3 ¥483

12.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$73.3 ¥496

21.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$283 ¥1,915

235.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,097

$190 ¥1,286

145.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$587 ¥3,975

177.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$357 ¥2,421

233.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.4K

$3,012 ¥20.4K

30.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$2,010 ¥13.6K

219.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Zhangzhou: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $283 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 $22.00 in Zhangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $198 – 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 73%, 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 $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,089 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 $1,259 in Playa del Carmen and $726 in Zhangzhou. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 57% 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 $726, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. 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.