Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kanazawa and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,277 in Kanazawa, rent and utilities included – about $880 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Kanazawa
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Kanazawa Living Index
59

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

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Kanazawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,277

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,277 per month in Kanazawa vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kanazawa $1,277
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,031 per month in Kanazawa vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kanazawa $2,031
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $2,786 per month in Kanazawa vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kanazawa $2,786
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Kanazawa costs about 6% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kanazawa and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Kanazawa 6% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 ¥1,206

$10.86 MX$201

-29.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.61 ¥4,994

$44.21 MX$817

-28.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥747

$11.76 MX$217

-59.78%

Cappuccino

$2.26 ¥358

$3.68 MX$68.0

-38.59%

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

$1.14 ¥180

$1.34 MX$24.79

-14.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥91.2

$0.82 MX$15.24

-29.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ¥320

$3.06 MX$56.6

-33.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ¥368

$4.94 MX$91.2

-52.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥245

$1.47 MX$27.17

5.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 ¥208

$2.22 MX$40.95

-40.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 ¥837

$1.48 MX$27.32

258.11%

Eggs

$2.07 ¥327

$2.49 MX$45.99

-16.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.52 ¥1,978

$7.52 MX$139

66.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 ¥1,487

$7.96 MX$147

18.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.96 ¥5,049

$12.57 MX$232

154.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 ¥572

$2.78 MX$51.3

30.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$1.43 MX$26.37

59.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.48 ¥1,024

$2.62 MX$48.37

147.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥655

$2.14 MX$39.49

93.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 ¥589

$2.02 MX$37.38

84.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.42 ¥540

$1.99 MX$36.74

71.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.14 MX$21.01

12.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥163

$1.20 MX$22.18

-14.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 ¥561

$4.26 MX$78.7

-16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 ¥1,327

$10.02 MX$185

-16.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 ¥310

$1.54 MX$28.41

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ¥239

$2.66 MX$49.17

-42.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥236

$0.53 MX$9.73

181.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 ¥8,598

$27.51 MX$508

97.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ¥491

$4.90 MX$90.6

-36.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 ¥508

$3.43 MX$63.5

-6.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.21 ¥4,140

$5.38 MX$99.4

387.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.45 MX$26.76

-23.45%

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

$20.3K ¥3.2M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

-3.98%

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

$16.4K ¥2.6M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

-28.67%

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

$148 ¥23.3K

$85.4 MX$1,577

73.07%

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

$24.34 ¥3,845

$23.46 MX$434

3.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.30 ¥6,840

$28.43 MX$525

52.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.68 ¥6,743

$62.2 MX$1,149

-31.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 ¥1,812

$5.10 MX$94.3

124.90%

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

$320 ¥50.6K

$201 MX$3,715

59.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,140 ¥970.0K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

55.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.59 ¥7,834

$44.39 MX$820

11.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.27 ¥3,993

$41.35 MX$764

-38.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.94 ¥7,258

$72.7 MX$1,344

-36.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 ¥10.3K

$89.6 MX$1,656

-27.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 ¥85.1K

$979 MX$18.1K

-44.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 ¥51.6K

$373 MX$6,887

-12.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 ¥173.7K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-34.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 ¥118.3K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-31.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,294 ¥678.4K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

8.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,742 ¥275.3K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-71.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,857 ¥293.4K

$738 MX$13.6K

151.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.28

11.45

-80.09%

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

Last update for Kanazawa: 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

Kanazawa

$382 29.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 32.4% $124

Accommodation & Living

Kanazawa

$327 25.6%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 14.1% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kanazawa

$215 16.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 36.3% $78

Eating Out

Kanazawa

$124 9.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 61.3% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Kanazawa

$84 6.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 33.6% $28

Getting Around

Kanazawa

$80 6.2%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 35% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Kanazawa

$66 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 10.3% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $539 in Kanazawa 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.

Salaries run about 152% higher in Kanazawa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Kanazawa versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Kanazawa vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kanazawa

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

22:00 10:00 PM

14 h behind Kanazawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

465,699

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 21, 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 21, 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

Kanazawa Playa del Carmen 12,170 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Kanazawa
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,277 in Kanazawa, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,916 per month in Kanazawa 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,277 in Kanazawa and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 6%.

Public transport costs about 98% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Kanazawa at $1,277. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kanazawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,277 in Kanazawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kanazawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.