Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,368 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,368

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Taipei vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taipei $1,368
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $2,202 per month in Taipei vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taipei $2,202
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $3,036 per month in Taipei vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taipei $3,036
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Taipei costs about 13% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Taipei sits 1% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.60 NT$149

$10.76 MX$199

-57.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.13 NT$1,528

$43.03 MX$795

9.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 NT$181

$11.79 MX$218

-52.67%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NT$112

$3.87 MX$71.4

-10.85%

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

$0.94 NT$30.61

$1.37 MX$25.29

-31.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.73

$0.84 MX$15.44

-20.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$92.7

$3.10 MX$57.3

-7.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 NT$120

$5.07 MX$93.6

-27.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$101

$1.44 MX$26.55

116.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$64.0

$2.23 MX$41.23

-11.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 NT$103

$1.47 MX$27.17

114.97%

Eggs

$2.68 NT$86.9

$2.53 MX$46.71

5.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.90 NT$645

$7.30 MX$135

172.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 NT$319

$7.86 MX$145

25.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.51 NT$698

$12.79 MX$236

68.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 NT$157

$2.90 MX$53.6

67.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 NT$105

$1.44 MX$26.53

125.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 NT$98.2

$2.55 MX$47.07

18.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 NT$147

$2.06 MX$38.03

119.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$90.4

$2.00 MX$36.97

39.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 NT$75.9

$2.01 MX$37.07

16.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$54.5

$1.19 MX$22.02

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NT$35.62

$1.26 MX$23.23

-12.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 NT$123

$4.40 MX$81.4

-13.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 NT$460

$9.59 MX$177

47.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 NT$53.0

$1.59 MX$29.41

2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.3

$2.81 MX$51.9

-18.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$21.04

$0.57 MX$10.47

14.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.88 NT$1,228

$27.82 MX$514

36.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 NT$86.8

$4.98 MX$92.1

-46.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 NT$26.55

$3.50 MX$64.6

-76.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.17 NT$297

$5.40 MX$99.8

69.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.93

$1.47 MX$27.08

-30.61%

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

56.37%

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

$24.5K NT$795.1K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

2.56%

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

$87.7 NT$2,843

$84.2 MX$1,556

4.12%

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

$17.28 NT$560

$23.99 MX$443

-27.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.38 NT$888

$29.02 MX$536

-5.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.32 NT$1,308

$63.0 MX$1,164

-35.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.94 NT$517

$29.14 MX$539

-45.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 NT$319

$4.94 MX$91.3

98.99%

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

$663 NT$21.5K

$204 MX$3,763

225.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K NT$538.4K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

321.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 NT$2,025

$43.60 MX$806

43.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 NT$1,281

$43.12 MX$797

-8.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 NT$2,740

$75.8 MX$1,400

11.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,424

$88.6 MX$1,637

19.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$999 NT$32.4K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-0.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 NT$15.3K

$374 MX$6,911

26.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 NT$50.8K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-8.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 NT$30.7K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-14.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K NT$385.6K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

201.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,306 NT$236.9K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

18.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,760 NT$57.1K

$754 MX$13.9K

133.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

11.45

-79.04%

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

Last update for Taipei: October 11, 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

Taipei

$473 34.6%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 21% $99

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$400 29.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 35.4% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$132 9.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 3.7% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$131 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 14% $18

Eating Out

Taipei

$123 9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 64.3% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$60 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 21.5% $13

Getting Around

Taipei

$47 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 11.2% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $999 in Taipei 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.

Salaries run about 133% higher in Taipei, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Taipei versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

09:05 9:05 AM

13 h behind Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 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 TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Taipei Playa del Carmen 14,070 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Taipei
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

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

Yes – Taipei is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,052 per month in Taipei 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 $1,368 in Taipei and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 13%.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Taipei at $1,368. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taipei 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, Taipei makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.