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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,022 in Kurume versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,597 in Kurume versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,172 in Kurume versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kurume costs roughly 19% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kurume 24% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 ¥788

$11.99 MX$209

-59.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.86 ¥6,802

$41.78 MX$728

0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.17 ¥678

$10.75 MX$187

-61.21%

Cappuccino

$2.10 ¥342

$3.50 MX$60.9

-40.00%

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

$0.77 ¥125

$1.45 MX$25.22

-46.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥89.4

$0.88 MX$15.41

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 ¥560

$2.95 MX$51.3

16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥285

$4.51 MX$78.6

-60.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ¥230

$1.43 MX$24.94

-0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ¥232

$1.84 MX$31.99

-22.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.13 ¥670

$1.57 MX$27.31

163.06%

Eggs

$2.10 ¥340

$2.51 MX$43.74

-16.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 ¥1,665

$8.28 MX$144

23.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.12 ¥994

$8.43 MX$147

-27.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.02 ¥3,416

$10.68 MX$186

96.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 ¥496

$2.61 MX$45.43

16.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ¥229

$1.44 MX$25.04

-2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ¥222

$1.96 MX$34.16

-30.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.83 ¥947

$2.09 MX$36.47

178.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 ¥448

$1.85 MX$32.24

49.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 ¥508

$2.17 MX$37.74

44.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ¥159

$1.03 MX$17.96

-4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥124

$1.07 MX$18.70

-28.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ¥643

$4.10 MX$71.4

-3.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 ¥982

$10.17 MX$177

-40.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥315

$1.68 MX$29.17

15.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 ¥196

$2.53 MX$43.98

-52.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥260

$0.51 MX$8.87

213.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.7 ¥8,892

$26.04 MX$453

110.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 ¥776

$3.23 MX$56.3

47.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 ¥473

$2.41 MX$41.88

20.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.75 ¥3,210

$3.23 MX$56.2

511.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 ¥115

$1.32 MX$23.00

-46.97%

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

$23.3K ¥3.8M

$29.7K MX$517.1K

-21.46%

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

$19.7K ¥3.2M

$23.7K MX$412.0K

-16.66%

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

$215 ¥34.9K

$82.0 MX$1,428

162.19%

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

$27.50 ¥4,468

$22.95 MX$400

19.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.68 ¥4,010

$30.11 MX$524

-18.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 ¥8,933

$52.0 MX$905

5.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 ¥2,217

$18.53 MX$323

-26.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ¥1,272

$4.98 MX$86.6

57.23%

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

$416 ¥67.6K

$197 MX$3,438

110.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$5,336 MX$92.9K

147.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.71 ¥6,940

$35.60 MX$620

19.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.93 ¥2,263

$40.33 MX$702

-65.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.69 ¥4,336

$78.8 MX$1,371

-66.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.22 ¥5,561

$88.9 MX$1,549

-61.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 ¥34.3K

$947 MX$16.5K

-77.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 ¥22.8K

$474 MX$8,254

-70.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 ¥85.6K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-67.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 ¥55.7K

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-71.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,477 ¥727.4K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

10.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,230 ¥362.4K

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-65.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,480 ¥240.5K

$654 MX$11.4K

126.35%

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 Kurume: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $211 in Kurume and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 126% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Kurume vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 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

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

Kurume and Playa del Carmen differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,022 vs $1,256 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 126% higher in Kurume, 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: $211 in Kurume versus $947 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 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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

At $1,022 in Kurume versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume 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.

Expats usually find Kurume gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.