Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongshan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $695 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index
59

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

Jump to prices

Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$695

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $695 per month in Zhongshan vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zhongshan $695
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,110 per month in Zhongshan vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zhongshan $1,110
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,525 per month in Zhongshan vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zhongshan $1,525
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Zhongshan is about 42% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zhongshan and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Zhongshan 49% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 ¥20.14

$10.86 MX$201

-72.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.23 ¥162

$44.21 MX$817

-45.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 ¥29.76

$11.76 MX$217

-62.16%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ¥18.91

$3.68 MX$68.0

-23.10%

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

$0.47 ¥3.11

$1.34 MX$24.79

-64.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.82 MX$15.24

-64.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.13

$3.06 MX$56.6

-74.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.05

$4.94 MX$91.2

-63.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ¥10.26

$1.47 MX$27.17

4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.99

$2.22 MX$40.95

-26.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$1.48 MX$27.32

-54.05%

Eggs

$1.24 ¥8.29

$2.49 MX$45.99

-50.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.87 ¥140

$7.52 MX$139

177.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 ¥18.72

$7.96 MX$147

-64.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 ¥90.5

$12.57 MX$232

7.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ¥14.34

$2.78 MX$51.3

-23.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$1.43 MX$26.37

-24.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$2.62 MX$48.37

-74.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.76

$2.14 MX$39.49

-31.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$2.02 MX$37.38

-71.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$1.99 MX$36.74

-63.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$1.14 MX$21.01

-62.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.56

$1.20 MX$22.18

-55.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ¥19.58

$4.26 MX$78.7

-31.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥78.9

$10.02 MX$185

17.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.62

$1.54 MX$28.41

-55.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.12

$2.66 MX$49.17

-31.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.53 MX$9.73

-45.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.11 ¥101

$27.51 MX$508

-45.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.68

$4.90 MX$90.6

-70.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$3.43 MX$63.5

-88.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.01 ¥46.88

$5.38 MX$99.4

30.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.70

$1.45 MX$26.76

-10.34%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

-7.22%

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

$18.2K ¥121.6K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

-20.96%

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

$40.99 ¥274

$85.4 MX$1,577

-51.98%

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

$10.15 ¥67.9

$23.46 MX$434

-56.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.59 ¥84.2

$28.43 MX$525

-55.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 ¥448

$62.2 MX$1,149

7.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.62 ¥50.9

$28.68 MX$530

-73.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 ¥38.88

$5.10 MX$94.3

13.92%

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

$317 ¥2,117

$201 MX$3,715

57.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K ¥89.4K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

238.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.42 ¥324

$44.39 MX$820

9.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 ¥265

$41.35 MX$764

-4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 ¥401

$72.7 MX$1,344

-17.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.5 ¥505

$89.6 MX$1,656

-15.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 ¥1,407

$979 MX$18.1K

-78.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 ¥834

$373 MX$6,887

-66.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 ¥2,517

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-77.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 ¥1,453

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-80.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,531 ¥16.9K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-35.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 ¥10.1K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-75.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$956 ¥6,391

$738 MX$13.6K

29.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

11.45

-70.74%

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

Last update for Zhongshan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhongshan

$226 32.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 14.4% $33

Accommodation & Living

Zhongshan

$125 17.9%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 199% $248

Clothing & Footwear

Zhongshan

$101 14.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 11% $11

Eating Out

Zhongshan

$82 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 145% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Zhongshan

$79 11.3%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 8% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhongshan

$64 9.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 115% $74

Getting Around

Zhongshan

$20 2.8%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 162% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $210 in Zhongshan versus $979 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 30% higher in Zhongshan, 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 $24.00 in Zhongshan versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $258 – making Zhongshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

19:18 7:18 PM

13 h behind Zhongshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,209,600

149,923

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Zhongshan Playa del Carmen 14,730 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhongshan
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,043 per month in Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan, 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 $695 in Zhongshan and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 73%.

Public transport costs about 82% less in Zhongshan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zhongshan, where all-in costs run around $695, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Zhongshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhongshan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Zhongshan. 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.