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: $1,186 in Ibaraki versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,862 in Ibaraki versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,537 in Ibaraki versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ibaraki costs roughly 7% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ibaraki 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.09 ¥1,134

$11.87 MX$204

-40.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.80 ¥5,566

$42.90 MX$736

-18.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥839

$10.65 MX$183

-50.70%

Cappuccino

$3.17 ¥507

$3.45 MX$59.2

-8.12%

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

$1.05 ¥168

$1.50 MX$25.81

-30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥123

$0.95 MX$16.28

-18.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ¥414

$3.03 MX$51.9

-14.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ¥512

$4.61 MX$79.1

-30.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 ¥374

$1.38 MX$23.61

69.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥257

$1.85 MX$31.70

-12.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 ¥546

$1.61 MX$27.65

111.80%

Eggs

$2.30 ¥368

$2.59 MX$44.51

-11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ¥1,632

$8.26 MX$142

23.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 ¥1,026

$8.37 MX$144

-23.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ¥2,446

$10.66 MX$183

43.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.29 ¥846

$2.63 MX$45.12

101.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 ¥403

$1.49 MX$25.53

69.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 ¥657

$1.92 MX$32.94

114.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 ¥961

$2.09 MX$35.81

187.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 ¥483

$1.86 MX$31.88

62.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 ¥431

$2.26 MX$38.81

19.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ¥215

$1.06 MX$18.23

26.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥125

$1.09 MX$18.67

-28.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ¥670

$4.15 MX$71.2

0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 ¥1,330

$10.39 MX$178

-20.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥418

$1.72 MX$29.59

52.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥349

$2.61 MX$44.85

-16.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 ¥294

$0.54 MX$9.30

240.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.1 ¥8,973

$26.94 MX$462

108.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 ¥836

$3.13 MX$53.7

67.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 ¥468

$2.51 MX$43.09

16.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.68 ¥3,308

$3.15 MX$54.1

556.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥199

$1.27 MX$21.88

-1.57%

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

$23.4K ¥3.7M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-22.94%

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

$17.1K ¥2.7M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-27.54%

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

$145 ¥23.3K

$83.0 MX$1,425

75.18%

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

$26.69 ¥4,268

$22.71 MX$390

17.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.05 ¥5,446

$29.46 MX$506

15.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 ¥9,069

$51.0 MX$875

11.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.89 ¥2,221

$18.33 MX$315

-24.22%

Cinema Ticket

$12.36 ¥1,976

$4.93 MX$84.5

150.71%

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

$279 ¥44.7K

$197 MX$3,386

41.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

150.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.50 ¥4,718

$36.90 MX$633

-20.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.65 ¥4,742

$39.89 MX$685

-25.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ¥11.5K

$80.0 MX$1,373

-10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ¥13.8K

$89.5 MX$1,536

-3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ¥68.8K

$956 MX$16.4K

-55.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ¥45.6K

$477 MX$8,189

-40.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 ¥137.6K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-47.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 ¥91.4K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-53.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,080 ¥652.6K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

4.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 ¥396.4K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-61.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,548 ¥407.5K

$667 MX$11.4K

281.97%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Ibaraki and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 282% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ibaraki vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $250, 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,186 vs $1,271 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ibaraki pays 282% more on average, 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: $430 in Ibaraki versus $956 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 29% 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 $35.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,186 in Ibaraki versus $1,271 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 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.