Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukushima and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukushima and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,229 in Fukushima versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,935 in Fukushima versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,641 in Fukushima versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Fukushima costs roughly 3% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Fukushima 10% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 ¥1,018

$11.60 MX$200

-43.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.03 ¥5,154

$47.11 MX$812

-29.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥797

$11.88 MX$205

-56.99%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥486

$3.98 MX$68.6

-21.61%

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

$1.19 ¥185

$1.43 MX$24.60

-16.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥119

$0.82 MX$14.22

-7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ¥425

$3.19 MX$55.0

-14.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥505

$6.79 MX$117

-52.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ¥267

$1.68 MX$28.89

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ¥237

$2.20 MX$37.88

-30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 ¥653

$1.71 MX$29.45

144.44%

Eggs

$1.83 ¥285

$2.74 MX$47.26

-33.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 ¥1,557

$9.58 MX$165

4.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ¥965

$9.01 MX$155

-31.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 ¥2,657

$12.81 MX$221

32.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 ¥798

$2.89 MX$49.81

77.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 ¥347

$1.50 MX$25.81

48.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 ¥423

$2.15 MX$37.03

26.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 ¥739

$2.26 MX$38.96

109.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 ¥423

$1.98 MX$34.15

36.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥399

$1.99 MX$34.30

28.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ¥175

$1.23 MX$21.28

-8.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥121

$1.20 MX$20.63

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥533

$4.55 MX$78.5

-24.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 ¥1,284

$10.37 MX$179

-20.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥272

$1.62 MX$27.91

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ¥380

$2.88 MX$49.67

-15.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥232

$0.60 MX$10.35

148.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.9 ¥8,095

$28.80 MX$497

80.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ¥482

$5.39 MX$92.9

-42.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 ¥394

$3.73 MX$64.3

-32.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.69 ¥3,073

$5.77 MX$99.5

241.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥192

$1.54 MX$26.48

-20.13%

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

$20.5K ¥3.2M

$22.5K MX$388.8K

-9.00%

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

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$26.1K MX$449.3K

-48.99%

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

$155 ¥24.2K

$91.4 MX$1,576

69.88%

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

$26.94 ¥4,204

$25.20 MX$435

6.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.11 ¥5,635

$31.24 MX$539

15.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 ¥8,713

$67.2 MX$1,159

-16.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$13.90 ¥2,169

$4.86 MX$83.8

186.01%

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

$515 ¥80.4K

$224 MX$3,856

130.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ¥1.9M

$4,229 MX$72.9K

192.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.34 ¥7,386

$47.10 MX$812

0.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 ¥5,833

$44.29 MX$764

-15.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.7 ¥9,938

$80.1 MX$1,381

-20.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 ¥15.5K

$92.7 MX$1,598

7.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 ¥79.1K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-52.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥51.8K

$390 MX$6,728

-14.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 ¥182.4K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-45.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$795 ¥124.0K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-37.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 ¥626.6K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

0.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,035 ¥317.6K

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-68.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

11.45

-81.75%

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

Last update for Fukushima: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $507 in Fukushima and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Fukushima vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $276, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Fukushima is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,843 in Fukushima and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $507 in Fukushima versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Fukushima – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,229 in Fukushima versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fukushima but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Fukushima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fukushima is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Fukushima and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Fukushima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.