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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Kamakura versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,024 in Kamakura versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,754 in Kamakura versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kamakura is roughly 3% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kamakura 3% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 ¥1,109

$11.99 MX$209

-43.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.72 ¥5,642

$41.78 MX$728

-16.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 ¥885

$10.75 MX$187

-49.30%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥506

$3.50 MX$60.9

-11.14%

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

$1.19 ¥194

$1.45 MX$25.22

-17.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥122

$0.88 MX$15.41

-14.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ¥332

$2.95 MX$51.3

-30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ¥505

$4.51 MX$78.6

-31.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ¥244

$1.43 MX$24.94

4.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥275

$1.84 MX$31.99

-8.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.84 ¥787

$1.57 MX$27.31

208.28%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥363

$2.51 MX$43.74

-11.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 ¥2,231

$8.28 MX$144

65.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 ¥1,100

$8.43 MX$147

-19.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 ¥2,860

$10.68 MX$186

64.79%

Apples (1kg)

$6.18 ¥1,004

$2.61 MX$45.43

136.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 ¥458

$1.44 MX$25.04

95.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 ¥635

$1.96 MX$34.16

99.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.14 ¥998

$2.09 MX$36.47

193.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 ¥525

$1.85 MX$32.24

74.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 ¥435

$2.17 MX$37.74

23.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ¥216

$1.03 MX$17.96

29.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ¥172

$1.07 MX$18.70

-0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ¥569

$4.10 MX$71.4

-14.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 ¥1,470

$10.17 MX$177

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥308

$1.68 MX$29.17

13.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ¥385

$2.53 MX$43.98

-6.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 ¥259

$0.51 MX$8.87

211.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ¥8,918

$26.04 MX$453

110.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 ¥549

$3.23 MX$56.3

4.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 ¥476

$2.41 MX$41.88

21.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.59 ¥2,858

$3.23 MX$56.2

444.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥200

$1.32 MX$23.00

-6.82%

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

$23.4K ¥3.8M

$29.7K MX$517.1K

-21.07%

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

$16.7K ¥2.7M

$23.7K MX$412.0K

-29.59%

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

$145 ¥23.6K

$82.0 MX$1,428

76.92%

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

$27.29 ¥4,434

$22.95 MX$400

18.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.55 ¥5,451

$30.11 MX$524

11.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 ¥9,118

$52.0 MX$905

7.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.74 ¥2,233

$18.53 MX$323

-25.85%

Cinema Ticket

$12.47 ¥2,026

$4.98 MX$86.6

150.40%

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

$286 ¥46.5K

$197 MX$3,438

44.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K ¥1.9M

$5,336 MX$92.9K

114.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 ¥6,681

$35.60 MX$620

15.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.44 ¥4,783

$40.33 MX$702

-27.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.7 ¥9,054

$78.8 MX$1,371

-29.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 ¥14.8K

$88.9 MX$1,549

2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥75.1K

$947 MX$16.5K

-51.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ¥52.8K

$474 MX$8,254

-31.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 ¥142.5K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-46.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 ¥108.7K

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-44.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,876 ¥629.7K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-4.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,385 ¥387.5K

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-63.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,727 ¥280.6K

$654 MX$11.4K

164.12%

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 Kamakura: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $462 in Kamakura and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kamakura pays 164% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Kamakura vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $249, 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 164% higher in Kamakura, 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: $462 in Kamakura versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Kamakura versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Kamakura. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,293 in Kamakura, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kamakura. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Kamakura 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Kamakura. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.