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: $1,294 in Kamakura versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,992 in Kamakura versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,690 in Kamakura versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs are close between Kamakura and Playa del Carmen; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.05 ¥1,127

$11.73 MX$203

-39.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 ¥5,625

$41.62 MX$721

-15.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ¥907

$10.64 MX$184

-46.71%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ¥501

$3.52 MX$61.0

-11.08%

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

$1.21 ¥194

$1.51 MX$26.17

-19.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$0.97 MX$16.87

-21.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 ¥331

$2.95 MX$51.1

-29.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥509

$4.45 MX$77.2

-28.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥244

$1.38 MX$23.97

10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥281

$1.89 MX$32.78

-7.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.02 ¥803

$1.64 MX$28.37

206.10%

Eggs

$2.27 ¥364

$2.51 MX$43.42

-9.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 ¥2,209

$8.34 MX$145

65.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 ¥1,099

$8.34 MX$145

-17.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.62 ¥2,818

$10.73 MX$186

64.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 ¥946

$2.60 MX$45.12

127.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 ¥462

$1.46 MX$25.25

97.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 ¥654

$1.90 MX$32.94

115.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.09 ¥974

$2.08 MX$35.98

192.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 ¥523

$1.78 MX$30.77

83.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 ¥411

$2.19 MX$37.87

17.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ¥222

$1.04 MX$18.02

33.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ¥169

$1.08 MX$18.66

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ¥545

$4.08 MX$70.7

-16.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 ¥1,483

$10.32 MX$179

-10.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥294

$1.71 MX$29.67

7.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 ¥383

$2.58 MX$44.63

-7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 ¥258

$0.51 MX$8.83

215.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ¥8,849

$26.46 MX$459

109.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ¥559

$3.26 MX$56.5

7.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 ¥477

$2.49 MX$43.17

19.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.59 ¥2,814

$3.25 MX$56.3

441.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥197

$1.31 MX$22.65

-6.11%

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

$23.6K ¥3.8M

$30.3K MX$524.7K

-22.09%

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

$16.9K ¥2.7M

$23.4K MX$406.0K

-27.83%

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

$143 ¥22.9K

$82.9 MX$1,436

72.55%

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

$26.75 ¥4,278

$22.22 MX$385

20.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.96 ¥5,432

$29.34 MX$508

15.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 ¥8,853

$51.6 MX$895

7.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ¥2,245

$18.32 MX$317

-23.36%

Cinema Ticket

$12.51 ¥2,001

$5.07 MX$87.8

146.75%

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

$287 ¥45.8K

$201 MX$3,480

42.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ¥1.8M

$5,212 MX$90.3K

116.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.28 ¥6,763

$36.92 MX$640

14.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.29 ¥4,685

$39.79 MX$689

-26.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.6 ¥9,046

$78.5 MX$1,360

-27.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.6 ¥15.0K

$87.1 MX$1,509

7.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 ¥76.2K

$973 MX$16.9K

-51.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 ¥52.2K

$468 MX$8,105

-30.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$864 ¥138.2K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-47.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 ¥104.9K

$1,221 MX$21.2K

-46.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,481 ¥716.7K

$3,946 MX$68.4K

13.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,206 ¥352.9K

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-66.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,760 ¥281.5K

$664 MX$11.5K

165.08%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Kamakura and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kamakura pays 165% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35.00 in Kamakura vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 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

Kamakura pays 165% 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: $476 in Kamakura versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $287 in Kamakura versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kamakura – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Kamakura versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kamakura but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kamakura the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kamakura 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, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kamakura wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.