Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhubei City and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhubei City: $1,055 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Zhubei City
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Zhubei City Living Index
59

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

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Zhubei City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,055

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,055 per month in Zhubei City vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zhubei City $1,055
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Zhubei City vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zhubei City $1,841
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $2,627 per month in Zhubei City vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zhubei City $2,627
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Zhubei City is about 13% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zhubei City and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Zhubei City 22% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.83 NT$157

$10.76 MX$199

-55.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.00 NT$908

$43.03 MX$795

-34.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 NT$164

$11.79 MX$218

-57.00%

Cappuccino

$2.89 NT$93.8

$3.87 MX$71.4

-25.32%

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

$0.91 NT$29.41

$1.37 MX$25.29

-33.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 NT$19.02

$0.84 MX$15.44

-29.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 NT$62.5

$3.10 MX$57.3

-37.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 NT$75.6

$5.07 MX$93.6

-54.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.79 NT$90.4

$1.44 MX$26.55

93.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 NT$60.7

$2.23 MX$41.23

-16.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 NT$149

$1.47 MX$27.17

212.24%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$92.5

$2.53 MX$46.71

12.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.76 NT$803

$7.30 MX$135

239.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 NT$271

$7.86 MX$145

6.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.93 NT$841

$12.79 MX$236

102.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 NT$131

$2.90 MX$53.6

39.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 NT$78.5

$1.44 MX$26.53

68.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 NT$87.3

$2.55 MX$47.07

5.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 NT$106

$2.06 MX$38.03

58.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 NT$97.9

$2.00 MX$36.97

51.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 NT$65.5

$2.01 MX$37.07

0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 NT$66.9

$1.19 MX$22.02

73.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$43.25

$1.26 MX$23.23

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 NT$126

$4.40 MX$81.4

-11.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.23 NT$299

$9.59 MX$177

-3.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 NT$46.36

$1.59 MX$29.41

-10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 NT$75.4

$2.81 MX$51.9

-17.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.85

$0.57 MX$10.47

7.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 NT$101

$4.98 MX$92.1

-37.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 NT$20.76

$3.50 MX$64.6

-81.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.25 NT$300

$5.40 MX$99.8

71.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 NT$32.17

$1.47 MX$27.08

-32.65%

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

$33.5K NT$1.1M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

59.48%

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

$24.8K NT$805.7K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

3.93%

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

$103 NT$3,331

$84.2 MX$1,556

21.97%

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

$18.96 NT$615

$23.99 MX$443

-20.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.80 NT$739

$29.02 MX$536

-21.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.40 NT$1,018

$63.0 MX$1,164

-50.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 NT$324

$4.94 MX$91.3

102.23%

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

$646 NT$20.9K

$204 MX$3,763

217.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K NT$533.8K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

317.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 NT$1,870

$43.60 MX$806

32.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.13 NT$1,010

$43.12 MX$797

-27.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 NT$2,946

$75.8 MX$1,400

19.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 NT$3,209

$88.6 MX$1,637

11.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 NT$16.2K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-50.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 NT$7,032

$374 MX$6,911

-42.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NT$35.7K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-35.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 NT$24.9K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-30.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K NT$525.9K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

311.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,751 NT$316.2K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

58.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 NT$77.5K

$754 MX$13.9K

217.05%

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 Zhubei City: October 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhubei City

$400 37.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 35.3% $141

Accommodation & Living

Zhubei City

$217 20.6%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 72.5% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhubei City

$144 13.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 5% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Zhubei City

$125 11.9%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 9.9% $12

Eating Out

Zhubei City

$109 10.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 85.9% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Zhubei City

$51 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 41.9% $22

Getting Around

Zhubei City

$8.8 * 0.8%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 501% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $501 in Zhubei City 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 217% higher in Zhubei City, 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 $28.00 in Zhubei City versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $400 in Zhubei City vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Zhubei City

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

17:36 5:36 PM

13 h behind Zhubei City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,746

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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zhubei City Playa del Carmen 14,120 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhubei City
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,583 per month in Zhubei City 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 Zhubei City, 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 $1,055 in Zhubei City and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 15%.

Kindergarten costs $646 per month in Zhubei City 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhubei City, where all-in costs run around $1,055, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Zhubei City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhubei City – 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 Zhubei City. 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.