Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenyang and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenyang: $708 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Shenyang
Learn more

Shenyang Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Shenyang

🇨🇳 China

$708

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shenyang and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $708 per month in Shenyang vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Shenyang $708
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,046 per month in Shenyang vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Shenyang $1,046
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,384 per month in Shenyang vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Shenyang $1,384
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Shenyang is about 41% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shenyang and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Shenyang 48% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 ¥19.72

$10.92 MX$205

-72.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥149

$43.37 MX$814

-48.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 ¥35.89

$11.78 MX$221

-54.16%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ¥16.64

$3.81 MX$71.5

-34.38%

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

$0.47 ¥3.10

$1.28 MX$24.07

-63.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.57

$0.78 MX$14.70

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ¥5.72

$3.17 MX$59.5

-72.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.54

$4.93 MX$92.7

-61.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ¥13.31

$1.41 MX$26.40

41.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 ¥15.80

$2.22 MX$41.62

7.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.18

$1.42 MX$26.61

-23.94%

Eggs

$1.07 ¥7.09

$2.52 MX$47.36

-57.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 ¥79.2

$12.69 MX$238

-5.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.90

$2.78 MX$52.3

-35.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.75

$1.37 MX$25.68

-14.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.76

$2.12 MX$39.86

-30.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$1.15 MX$21.53

-46.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ¥4.28

$1.18 MX$22.13

-45.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.52

$4.30 MX$80.6

-14.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.70 ¥111

$9.95 MX$187

67.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ¥4.54

$1.58 MX$29.73

-56.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ¥7.52

$2.67 MX$50.1

-57.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$0.55 MX$10.39

-47.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.87 ¥98.8

$26.62 MX$500

-44.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ¥9.15

$4.97 MX$93.3

-72.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$3.33 MX$62.5

-90.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ¥20.31

$5.36 MX$101

-42.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.44 MX$27.11

-9.72%

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

$19.4K ¥128.7K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

-6.26%

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

$17.5K ¥116.0K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

-25.63%

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

$76.2 ¥506

$84.8 MX$1,592

-10.17%

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

$15.50 ¥103

$23.41 MX$439

-33.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.86 ¥98.7

$28.66 MX$538

-48.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.51 ¥150

$57.1 MX$1,071

-60.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.68 ¥71.0

$28.91 MX$543

-63.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 ¥39.04

$5.14 MX$96.5

14.40%

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

$549 ¥3,650

$207 MX$3,878

165.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ¥145.4K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

457.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.33 ¥281

$43.35 MX$814

-2.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 ¥405

$74.2 MX$1,393

-17.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 ¥466

$89.3 MX$1,676

-21.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 ¥1,499

$980 MX$18.4K

-76.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 ¥1,514

$381 MX$7,150

-40.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ¥3,578

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-68.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 ¥2,287

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-67.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,814 ¥12.1K

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-53.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,102 ¥7,322

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-82.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 ¥7,190

$735 MX$13.8K

47.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

11.45

-61.83%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Shenyang: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenyang

$228 32.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 67.2% $153

Groceries & Markets

Shenyang

$161 * 22.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 58.5% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenyang

$107 15.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 28.5% $30

Eating Out

Shenyang

$81 11.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 148% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Shenyang

$78 * 11%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 43.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Shenyang

$34 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 96.5% $33

Getting Around

Shenyang

$19 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 166% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $226 in Shenyang versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Shenyang, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Shenyang versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $161 vs $255 – making Shenyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenyang

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:04 7:04 PM

06:04 6:04 AM

13 h behind Shenyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,199,601

149,923

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shenyang Playa del Carmen 12,400 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Shenyang
Playa del Carmen

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

Shenyang vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,062 per month in Shenyang and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shenyang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $708 in Shenyang and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Shenyang about 41% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Shenyang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Shenyang, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Shenyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $708 in Shenyang to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Shenyang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 41% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.