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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Kitakyushu vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,974 per month in Kitakyushu vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,669 per month in Kitakyushu vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kitakyushu costs about 1% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Kitakyushu and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Kitakyushu 4% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 ¥1,157

$11.72 MX$203

-37.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.29 ¥6,506

$41.89 MX$725

-1.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 ¥779

$10.51 MX$182

-53.00%

Cappuccino

$3.20 ¥504

$3.59 MX$62.0

-10.86%

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

$1.09 ¥172

$1.51 MX$26.10

-27.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥118

$0.92 MX$15.83

-18.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ¥414

$2.96 MX$51.2

-11.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ¥480

$4.41 MX$76.3

-30.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥244

$1.40 MX$24.16

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥259

$1.88 MX$32.60

-12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 ¥676

$1.56 MX$26.97

175.00%

Eggs

$2.55 ¥401

$2.61 MX$45.14

-2.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 ¥1,612

$8.32 MX$144

22.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 ¥989

$8.35 MX$145

-24.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ¥3,300

$10.86 MX$188

92.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 ¥506

$2.71 MX$46.93

18.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 ¥214

$1.51 MX$26.04

-9.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 ¥223

$1.87 MX$32.41

-24.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$2.19 MX$37.89

50.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 ¥427

$1.86 MX$32.14

45.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 ¥499

$2.23 MX$38.59

42.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ¥145

$1.07 MX$18.48

-14.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$1.09 MX$18.79

-31.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥605

$4.19 MX$72.4

-8.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.21 ¥979

$10.43 MX$180

-40.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥307

$1.66 MX$28.68

17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥331

$2.61 MX$45.19

-19.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 ¥259

$0.54 MX$9.37

205.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ¥8,718

$26.16 MX$453

111.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 ¥717

$3.08 MX$53.3

47.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 ¥460

$2.40 MX$41.61

21.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.38 ¥3,054

$3.13 MX$54.1

519.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥193

$1.31 MX$22.69

-6.11%

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

$22.8K ¥3.6M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-23.56%

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

$20.0K ¥3.2M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-14.05%

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

$216 ¥34.0K

$81.3 MX$1,406

165.47%

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

$27.59 ¥4,348

$22.56 MX$390

22.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.33 ¥5,566

$30.05 MX$520

17.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 ¥8,829

$52.9 MX$915

5.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.63 ¥2,148

$18.39 MX$318

-25.88%

Cinema Ticket

$13.98 ¥2,203

$4.92 MX$85.1

184.15%

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

$408 ¥64.2K

$201 MX$3,474

103.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.1M

$5,175 MX$89.5K

161.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.79 ¥6,742

$35.92 MX$622

19.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.20 ¥4,600

$40.13 MX$694

-27.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 ¥10.3K

$79.7 MX$1,379

-18.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.5 ¥9,524

$86.5 MX$1,496

-30.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ¥73.6K

$978 MX$16.9K

-52.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 ¥52.7K

$470 MX$8,140

-28.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 ¥136.6K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-47.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 ¥104.5K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-44.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,260 ¥671.3K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

7.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,070 ¥326.1K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-68.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,463 ¥230.5K

$677 MX$11.7K

116.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

11.42

-85.38%

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

Last update for Kitakyushu: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $467 in Kitakyushu versus $978 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 116% higher in Kitakyushu, 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 $41.00 in Kitakyushu versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $284 in Kitakyushu vs $252 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Kitakyushu, $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 1% apart. Kitakyushu costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,918 per month in Kitakyushu and $1,890 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.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Kitakyushu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Kitakyushu and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,260, than in Kitakyushu at $1,278. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kitakyushu 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen to $1,278 in Kitakyushu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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