Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipa and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,021 in Taipa, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Taipa
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Taipa Living Index
59

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

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Taipa

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,021

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipa 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 Taipa and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,021 per month in Taipa vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taipa $2,021
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $3,160 per month in Taipa vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taipa $3,160
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $4,299 per month in Taipa vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taipa $4,299
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Taipa costs about 67% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Taipa sits 50% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 MOP 48.48

$10.76 MX$199

-44.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 MOP 453

$43.03 MX$795

30.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.92 MOP 47.82

$11.79 MX$218

-49.79%

Cappuccino

$5.06 MOP 40.93

$3.87 MX$71.4

30.75%

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

$0.71 MOP 5.74

$1.37 MX$25.29

-48.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MOP 3.09

$0.84 MX$15.44

-54.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 MOP 46.75

$3.10 MX$57.3

86.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 MOP 57.6

$5.07 MX$93.6

40.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.14 MOP 25.40

$1.44 MX$26.55

118.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 MOP 14.05

$2.23 MX$41.23

-21.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MOP 13.29

$1.47 MX$27.17

11.56%

Eggs

$3.50 MOP 28.33

$2.53 MX$46.71

38.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.93 MOP 129

$7.30 MX$135

118.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.63 MOP 159

$7.86 MX$145

149.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.44 MOP 238

$12.79 MX$236

130.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MOP 21.86

$2.90 MX$53.6

-6.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 MOP 23.82

$1.44 MX$26.53

104.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 MOP 15.22

$2.55 MX$47.07

-26.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 MOP 19.56

$2.06 MX$38.03

17.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 MOP 31.39

$2.00 MX$36.97

94.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 MOP 23.41

$2.01 MX$37.07

44.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 MOP 5.42

$1.19 MX$22.02

-43.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MOP 9.20

$1.26 MX$23.23

-9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 MOP 54.9

$4.40 MX$81.4

54.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 MOP 101

$9.59 MX$177

30.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MOP 14.31

$1.59 MX$29.41

11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 MOP 18.36

$2.81 MX$51.9

-19.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 MOP 20.88

$4.98 MX$92.1

-48.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 10.05

$3.50 MX$64.6

-64.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.64 MOP 118

$5.40 MX$99.8

171.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 MOP 14.50

$1.47 MX$27.08

21.77%

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

$31.4K MOP 254.1K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

49.78%

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

$32.0K MOP 258.6K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

33.82%

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

$121 MOP 974

$84.2 MX$1,556

43.15%

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

$23.97 MOP 194

$23.99 MX$443

-0.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.43 MOP 303

$29.02 MX$536

28.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.4 MOP 601

$63.0 MX$1,164

18.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.68 MOP 29.76

$29.14 MX$539

-87.37%

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 MOP 101

$4.94 MX$91.3

154.05%

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

$1,217 MOP 9,835

$204 MX$3,763

497.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K MOP 152.1K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

377.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 MOP 555

$43.60 MX$806

57.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.83 MOP 265

$43.12 MX$797

-23.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 MOP 752

$75.8 MX$1,400

22.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 MOP 1,080

$88.6 MX$1,637

50.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 MOP 8,515

$1,008 MX$18.6K

4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$982 MOP 7,936

$374 MX$6,911

162.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,091 MOP 16.9K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

22.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,906 MOP 15.4K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

72.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.1K MOP 129.7K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

306.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.5K MOP 109.3K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

119.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-73.80%

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

Last update for Taipa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taipa

$982 48.6%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 61.9% $608

Groceries & Markets

Taipa

$427 21.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 39.4% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipa

$182 9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 24.6% $45

Eating Out

Taipa

$174 8.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 16.2% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Taipa

$148 7.3%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 23.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Taipa

$99 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 26.7% $27

Getting Around

Taipa

$8.8 * 0.4%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 497% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,053 in Taipa versus $1,008 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Taipa versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $427 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇴 Taipa

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

03:49 3:49 AM

13 h behind Taipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,497

149,923

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MOP – Macanese Pataca Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇴 Macanese Pataca (P)

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.09 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Taipa Playa del Carmen 14,760 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Taipa
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

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

Yes – Taipa is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,031 per month in Taipa and $1,816 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 Playa del Carmen, 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 $2,021 in Taipa and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 67%.

Kindergarten costs $1,217 per month in Taipa and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Taipa at $2,021. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taipa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taipa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.