Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maebashi and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Maebashi and in Playa del Carmen: $1,216 and $1,210 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Maebashi
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Maebashi Living Index
59

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

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Maebashi

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,216

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,216 per month in Maebashi vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Maebashi $1,216
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,956 per month in Maebashi vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Maebashi $1,956
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $2,696 per month in Maebashi vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Maebashi $2,696
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Maebashi and Playa del Carmen have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Maebashi and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Maebashi 10% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ¥694

$10.76 MX$199

-59.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.47 ¥4,972

$43.03 MX$795

-26.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.16 ¥815

$11.79 MX$218

-56.23%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ¥392

$3.87 MX$71.4

-35.92%

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

$0.77 ¥122

$1.37 MX$25.29

-43.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥96.7

$0.84 MX$15.44

-27.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 ¥355

$3.10 MX$57.3

-27.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ¥510

$5.07 MX$93.6

-36.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥192

$1.44 MX$26.55

-15.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ¥241

$2.23 MX$41.23

-31.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.47 MX$27.17

-8.16%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥258

$2.53 MX$46.71

-35.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 ¥2,473

$7.30 MX$135

114.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.42 ¥698

$7.86 MX$145

-43.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 ¥2,679

$12.79 MX$236

32.53%

Apples (1kg)

$8.15 ¥1,288

$2.90 MX$53.6

181.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 ¥478

$1.44 MX$26.53

110.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 ¥776

$2.55 MX$47.07

92.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.65 ¥1,208

$2.06 MX$38.03

271.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.96 ¥626

$2.00 MX$36.97

98.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.75 ¥751

$2.01 MX$37.07

136.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ¥184

$1.19 MX$22.02

-1.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ¥77.8

$1.26 MX$23.23

-61.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 ¥623

$4.40 MX$81.4

-10.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.35 ¥1,477

$9.59 MX$177

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ¥395

$1.59 MX$29.41

57.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ¥327

$2.81 MX$51.9

-26.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 ¥238

$0.57 MX$10.47

164.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.8 ¥8,335

$27.82 MX$514

89.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 ¥502

$4.98 MX$92.1

-36.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.83 ¥447

$3.50 MX$64.6

-19.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.19 ¥4,927

$5.40 MX$99.8

477.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.47 MX$27.08

-27.21%

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

$21.3K ¥3.4M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

1.61%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-35.86%

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

$118 ¥18.6K

$84.2 MX$1,556

39.84%

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

$23.00 ¥3,633

$23.99 MX$443

-4.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.59 ¥4,992

$29.02 MX$536

8.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 ¥8,141

$63.0 MX$1,164

-18.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.51 ¥4,978

$29.14 MX$539

8.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.16 ¥1,764

$4.94 MX$91.3

125.91%

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

$575 ¥90.8K

$204 MX$3,763

182.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ¥2.3M

$3,941 MX$72.8K

264.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.39 ¥7,803

$43.60 MX$806

13.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.13 ¥5,550

$43.12 MX$797

-18.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 ¥9,586

$75.8 MX$1,400

-19.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 ¥15.6K

$88.6 MX$1,637

11.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 ¥83.6K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-47.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ¥53.3K

$374 MX$6,911

-9.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 ¥172.3K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-36.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 ¥117.4K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-32.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,756 ¥593.4K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-4.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,859 ¥293.6K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-69.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,696 ¥267.9K

$754 MX$13.9K

124.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

11.45

-82.36%

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

Last update for Maebashi: October 10, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Maebashi

$343 28.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 24.7% $85

Accommodation & Living

Maebashi

$337 27.7%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 10.9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maebashi

$172 14.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 20.4% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Maebashi

$110 9%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 2.9% $3.2

Eating Out

Maebashi

$104 8.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 95.2% $99

Getting Around

Maebashi

$76 6.3%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 30.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Maebashi

$74 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 1.3% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Maebashi versus $1,008 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 125% higher in Maebashi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Maebashi versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Maebashi vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Maebashi

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:49 5:49 PM

03:49 3:49 AM

14 h behind Maebashi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,644

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 19, 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 19, 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 →

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Between locations

Maebashi Playa del Carmen 12,040 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Maebashi
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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,824 per month in Maebashi and $1,816 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 33% more in Maebashi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Kindergarten costs $575 per month in Maebashi and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Maebashi at $1,216. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maebashi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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