Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taitung and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Taitung: $1,040 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Taitung
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Taitung Living Index
57

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

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Taitung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,040

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,040 per month in Taitung vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taitung $1,040
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Taitung vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taitung $1,750
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,460 per month in Taitung vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taitung $2,460
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Taitung is about 13% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Taitung and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Taitung 23% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 NT$122

$10.67 MX$199

-65.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.72 NT$1,533

$43.80 MX$815

6.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 NT$191

$11.79 MX$219

-50.64%

Cappuccino

$3.26 NT$107

$3.79 MX$70.5

-13.98%

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

$0.87 NT$28.50

$1.30 MX$24.14

-33.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$22.01

$0.83 MX$15.51

-19.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 NT$96.8

$3.15 MX$58.6

-6.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 NT$118

$4.93 MX$91.8

-26.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.92 NT$95.9

$1.41 MX$26.22

107.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 NT$58.8

$2.20 MX$40.86

-18.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 NT$101

$1.47 MX$27.40

108.84%

Eggs

$2.19 NT$71.7

$2.50 MX$46.46

-12.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.44 NT$638

$7.29 MX$136

166.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 NT$118

$7.95 MX$148

-54.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.06 NT$691

$12.86 MX$239

63.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 NT$61.3

$2.90 MX$53.9

-35.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 NT$88.2

$1.38 MX$25.74

94.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 NT$59.2

$2.49 MX$46.35

-27.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 NT$145

$2.03 MX$37.77

118.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 NT$90.5

$2.02 MX$37.68

36.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 NT$71.9

$1.90 MX$35.42

15.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 NT$53.8

$1.14 MX$21.30

43.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 NT$36.74

$1.24 MX$23.05

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 NT$125

$4.27 MX$79.5

-10.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 NT$459

$9.81 MX$183

42.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 NT$52.8

$1.59 MX$29.51

1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 NT$69.7

$2.75 MX$51.1

-22.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 NT$19.75

$0.51 MX$9.58

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.09 NT$1,119

$27.39 MX$510

24.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 NT$84.0

$4.76 MX$88.6

-46.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 NT$26.52

$3.25 MX$60.5

-75.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.37 NT$308

$5.39 MX$100

73.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 NT$31.13

$1.53 MX$28.44

-37.91%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$21.2K MX$394.8K

59.74%

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

$23.0K NT$755.2K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

-1.09%

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

$85.2 NT$2,795

$83.5 MX$1,554

2.01%

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

$17.57 NT$577

$23.19 MX$431

-24.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.85 NT$881

$27.61 MX$514

-2.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 NT$1,157

$56.4 MX$1,050

-37.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$9.08 NT$298

$5.00 MX$93.1

81.60%

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

$572 NT$18.8K

$207 MX$3,854

176.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K NT$771.6K

$5,231 MX$97.3K

349.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.39 NT$899

$43.45 MX$809

-36.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.30 NT$502

$42.54 MX$792

-64.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.97 NT$1,607

$72.8 MX$1,354

-32.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,408

$88.4 MX$1,645

17.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 NT$13.3K

$995 MX$18.5K

-59.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 NT$9,076

$382 MX$7,116

-27.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 NT$37.4K

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-31.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 NT$22.7K

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-36.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,806 NT$190.6K

$3,909 MX$72.7K

48.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,826 NT$125.6K

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-37.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 NT$20.1K

$832 MX$15.5K

-26.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.37

11.45

-79.30%

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

Last update for Taitung: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taitung

$335 32.2%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 23.2% $78

Accommodation & Living

Taitung

$277 26.6%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 38.3% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taitung

$130 12.5%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 3.6% $4.7

Eating Out

Taitung

$114 11%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 75.1% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Taitung

$88 8.5%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 26.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Taitung

$53 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 24.3% $13

Getting Around

Taitung

$43 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 17.1% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $406 in Taitung versus $995 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 36% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Taitung versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taitung

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

03:58 3:58 AM

13 h behind Taitung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,368

149,923

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.05 USD

100 TWD = 2.71 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 32.82 TWD (100 TWD = 3.05 USD). 1 EUR = 36.88 TWD (100 TWD = 2.71 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Taitung Playa del Carmen 14,300 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Taitung
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,560 per month in Taitung and $1,804 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 Taitung, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $406 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,040 in Taitung and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Taitung about 13% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,040 in Taitung and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,040 in Taitung to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Taitung. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.