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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,224 in Ibaraki versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,878 in Ibaraki versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,531 in Ibaraki versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ibaraki costs roughly 3% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ibaraki 8% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.04 ¥1,109

$11.72 MX$203

-39.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.98 ¥5,354

$41.89 MX$725

-18.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 ¥867

$10.51 MX$182

-47.67%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥485

$3.59 MX$62.0

-14.21%

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

$1.11 ¥174

$1.51 MX$26.10

-26.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.92 MX$15.83

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 ¥421

$2.96 MX$51.2

-9.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ¥495

$4.41 MX$76.3

-28.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ¥351

$1.40 MX$24.16

59.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ¥240

$1.88 MX$32.60

-19.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 ¥543

$1.56 MX$26.97

121.15%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥351

$2.61 MX$45.14

-14.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ¥1,607

$8.32 MX$144

22.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ¥974

$8.35 MX$145

-25.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 ¥2,393

$10.86 MX$188

39.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 ¥841

$2.71 MX$46.93

97.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 ¥416

$1.51 MX$26.04

74.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 ¥631

$1.87 MX$32.41

114.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 ¥913

$2.19 MX$37.89

164.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 ¥479

$1.86 MX$32.14

63.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ¥401

$2.23 MX$38.59

13.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥218

$1.07 MX$18.48

28.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$1.09 MX$18.79

-29.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ¥674

$4.19 MX$72.4

2.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 ¥1,253

$10.43 MX$180

-23.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 ¥406

$1.66 MX$28.68

55.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥359

$2.61 MX$45.19

-12.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.87 ¥295

$0.54 MX$9.37

246.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.4 ¥8,724

$26.16 MX$453

111.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 ¥782

$3.08 MX$53.3

61.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 ¥473

$2.40 MX$41.61

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.51 ¥3,232

$3.13 MX$54.1

555.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ¥189

$1.31 MX$22.69

-8.40%

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

$22.8K ¥3.6M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-23.42%

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

$17.6K ¥2.8M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-24.54%

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

$143 ¥22.6K

$81.3 MX$1,406

76.51%

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

$27.17 ¥4,282

$22.56 MX$390

20.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.01 ¥5,358

$30.05 MX$520

13.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 ¥8,848

$52.9 MX$915

6.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.78 ¥2,171

$18.39 MX$318

-25.07%

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 ¥1,963

$4.92 MX$85.1

153.25%

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

$280 ¥44.1K

$201 MX$3,474

39.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K ¥2.1M

$5,175 MX$89.5K

159.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.33 ¥4,621

$35.92 MX$622

-18.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.90 ¥4,553

$40.13 MX$694

-27.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥11.4K

$79.7 MX$1,379

-9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 ¥13.7K

$86.5 MX$1,496

0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 ¥69.2K

$978 MX$16.9K

-55.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ¥44.9K

$470 MX$8,140

-39.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 ¥137.8K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-47.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ¥93.4K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-50.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,597 ¥724.3K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

16.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,172 ¥342.3K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-67.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,446 ¥385.5K

$677 MX$11.7K

261.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

11.42

-84.41%

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

Last update for Ibaraki: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Ibaraki and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 262% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Ibaraki vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $252, 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

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

Ibaraki and Playa del Carmen differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,224 vs $1,260 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 262% higher in Ibaraki, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $439 in Ibaraki versus $978 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 26% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibaraki – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,224 in Ibaraki versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ibaraki but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ibaraki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ibaraki 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 Ibaraki 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.