Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Himeji and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,283 in Himeji, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. The total is higher in Himeji despite lower rent and utilities.

62

Cost of Living Index in Himeji
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Himeji Living Index
59

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

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Himeji

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,283

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,283 per month in Himeji vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Himeji $1,283
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,047 per month in Himeji vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Himeji $2,047
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $2,811 per month in Himeji vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Himeji $2,811
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Himeji costs about 7% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Himeji and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Himeji 5% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 ¥1,336

$10.86 MX$201

-22.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.07 ¥4,909

$44.21 MX$817

-29.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥807

$11.76 MX$217

-56.55%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ¥371

$3.68 MX$68.0

-36.14%

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

$1.24 ¥196

$1.34 MX$24.79

-7.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥129

$0.82 MX$15.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ¥505

$3.06 MX$56.6

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ¥483

$4.94 MX$91.2

-38.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ¥247

$1.47 MX$27.17

6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ¥233

$2.22 MX$40.95

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 ¥650

$1.48 MX$27.32

178.38%

Eggs

$2.18 ¥344

$2.49 MX$45.99

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.50 ¥2,449

$7.52 MX$139

106.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 ¥1,072

$7.96 MX$147

-14.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.88 ¥2,667

$12.57 MX$232

34.29%

Apples (1kg)

$8.37 ¥1,323

$2.78 MX$51.3

201.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 ¥470

$1.43 MX$26.37

107.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 ¥799

$2.62 MX$48.37

93.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.86 ¥1,241

$2.14 MX$39.49

267.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 ¥617

$2.02 MX$37.38

93.07%

Onion (1kg)

$4.70 ¥743

$1.99 MX$36.74

136.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ¥177

$1.14 MX$21.01

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥141

$1.20 MX$22.18

-25.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 ¥611

$4.26 MX$78.7

-9.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 ¥1,539

$10.02 MX$185

-2.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ¥412

$1.54 MX$28.41

69.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥332

$2.66 MX$49.17

-21.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥228

$0.53 MX$9.73

171.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 ¥8,373

$27.51 MX$508

92.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ¥494

$4.90 MX$90.6

-36.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.82 ¥446

$3.43 MX$63.5

-17.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.45 ¥2,441

$5.38 MX$99.4

187.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥168

$1.45 MX$26.76

-26.21%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

1.65%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

-34.40%

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

$118 ¥18.6K

$85.4 MX$1,577

37.79%

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

$23.44 ¥3,704

$23.46 MX$434

-0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.67 ¥5,003

$28.43 MX$525

11.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ¥8,314

$62.2 MX$1,149

-15.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 ¥1,795

$5.10 MX$94.3

122.75%

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

$564 ¥89.1K

$201 MX$3,715

180.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ¥2.3M

$3,947 MX$72.9K

273.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.92 ¥7,886

$44.39 MX$820

12.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 ¥5,611

$41.35 MX$764

-14.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 ¥9,739

$72.7 MX$1,344

-15.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 ¥15.7K

$89.6 MX$1,656

10.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥85.4K

$979 MX$18.1K

-44.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥51.8K

$373 MX$6,887

-11.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 ¥173.8K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-34.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.2K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-33.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,304 ¥680.0K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

9.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 ¥272.5K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-71.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

11.45

-82.36%

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

Last update for Himeji: October 18, 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

Himeji

$379 29.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 31.8% $120

Accommodation & Living

Himeji

$328 25.6%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 13.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Himeji

$173 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 20.5% $35

Eating Out

Himeji

$142 11%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 41.5% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Himeji

$111 8.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 0.7% $0.8

Getting Around

Himeji

$76 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 32% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Himeji

$75 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 3.9% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $541 in Himeji 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Himeji versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $379 in Himeji vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Himeji

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

18:07 6:07 PM

14 h behind Himeji

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

535,571

149,923

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Himeji Playa del Carmen 12,440 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Himeji
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

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

Yes – Himeji is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,925 per month in Himeji 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Himeji, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Himeji and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Himeji at $1,283. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Himeji it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Himeji makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.