Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhoushan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhoushan: $615 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Zhoushan
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Zhoushan Living Index
57

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

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Zhoushan

🇨🇳 China

$615

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $615 per month in Zhoushan vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zhoushan $615
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $998 per month in Zhoushan vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zhoushan $998
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,382 per month in Zhoushan vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zhoushan $1,382
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Zhoushan is about 49% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zhoushan and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Zhoushan 55% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 ¥23.01

$10.67 MX$199

-67.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.84 ¥126

$43.80 MX$815

-56.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.19 ¥27.91

$11.79 MX$219

-64.46%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.61

$3.79 MX$70.5

-22.43%

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

$0.43 ¥2.89

$1.30 MX$24.14

-66.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.65

$0.83 MX$15.51

-69.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.71 ¥4.76

$3.15 MX$58.6

-77.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥12.22

$4.93 MX$91.8

-62.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.25

$1.41 MX$26.22

30.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 ¥14.37

$2.20 MX$40.86

-1.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.47 MX$27.40

-37.41%

Eggs

$1.09 ¥7.29

$2.50 MX$46.46

-56.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.75 ¥91.6

$7.29 MX$136

88.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ¥22.62

$7.95 MX$148

-57.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 ¥73.2

$12.86 MX$239

-14.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.78

$2.90 MX$53.9

-49.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.79

$1.38 MX$25.74

-15.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 ¥10.09

$2.49 MX$46.35

-39.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.21

$2.03 MX$37.77

-39.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$2.02 MX$37.68

-69.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 ¥5.47

$1.90 MX$35.42

-56.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.22

$1.14 MX$21.30

-44.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.96

$1.24 MX$23.05

-52.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 ¥35.33

$4.27 MX$79.5

24.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.08 ¥73.8

$9.81 MX$183

12.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ¥6.42

$1.59 MX$29.51

-39.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ¥18.50

$2.75 MX$51.1

1.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.51 MX$9.58

-39.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.98 ¥99.8

$27.39 MX$510

-45.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ¥9.83

$4.76 MX$88.6

-68.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.61

$3.25 MX$60.5

-88.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ¥59.6

$5.39 MX$100

66.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.83

$1.53 MX$28.44

-22.88%

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

$19.5K ¥129.6K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

-8.30%

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

$16.5K ¥109.7K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

-29.21%

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

$37.84 ¥252

$83.5 MX$1,554

-54.68%

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

$11.82 ¥78.7

$23.19 MX$431

-49.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.66 ¥131

$27.61 MX$514

-28.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.76 ¥165

$56.4 MX$1,050

-56.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.68 ¥51.2

$28.19 MX$525

-72.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥40.61

$5.00 MX$93.1

22.00%

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

$471 ¥3,134

$207 MX$3,854

127.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ¥104.3K

$5,231 MX$97.3K

199.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.37 ¥222

$43.45 MX$809

-23.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.59 ¥130

$42.54 MX$792

-53.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.5 ¥430

$72.8 MX$1,354

-11.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.77 ¥272

$88.4 MX$1,645

-53.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 ¥2,241

$995 MX$18.5K

-66.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$120 ¥802

$382 MX$7,116

-68.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 ¥5,028

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-54.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 ¥1,813

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-74.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,979 ¥19.8K

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-23.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,011 ¥13.4K

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-67.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$593 ¥3,952

$832 MX$15.5K

-28.70%

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 Zhoushan: November 3, 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

Zhoushan

$211 34.4%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 21.7% $46

Accommodation & Living

Zhoushan

$120 19.6%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 218% $262

Eating Out

Zhoushan

$86 13.9%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 134% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Zhoushan

$71 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 56.2% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhoushan

$69 11.3%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 93.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Zhoushan

$37 6%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 79.8% $29

Getting Around

Zhoushan

$20 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 157% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $336 in Zhoushan 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 40% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $19 in Zhoushan versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $257 – making Zhoushan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhoushan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

17:29 5:29 PM

13 h behind Zhoushan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,157,817

149,923

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zhoushan Playa del Carmen 13,570 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhoushan
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $922 per month in Zhoushan 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 Zhoushan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $336 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $615 in Zhoushan and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Zhoushan about 49% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Zhoushan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Zhoushan, where all-in costs run around $615, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Zhoushan 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 $615 in Zhoushan to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Zhoushan. 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.