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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,163 in Matsudo versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,837 in Matsudo versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,511 in Matsudo versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Matsudo costs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Matsudo 13% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.96 ¥1,113

$11.73 MX$203

-40.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.74 ¥5,556

$41.62 MX$721

-16.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 ¥856

$10.64 MX$184

-49.72%

Cappuccino

$3.19 ¥511

$3.52 MX$61.0

-9.38%

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

$1.13 ¥181

$1.51 MX$26.17

-25.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$0.97 MX$16.87

-21.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ¥325

$2.95 MX$51.1

-31.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥336

$4.45 MX$77.2

-52.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ¥239

$1.38 MX$23.97

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 ¥265

$1.89 MX$32.78

-12.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.85 ¥776

$1.64 MX$28.37

195.73%

Eggs

$1.55 ¥248

$2.51 MX$43.42

-38.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.92 ¥1,586

$8.34 MX$145

18.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 ¥993

$8.34 MX$145

-25.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.23 ¥2,436

$10.73 MX$186

41.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 ¥958

$2.60 MX$45.12

130.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 ¥493

$1.46 MX$25.25

111.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 ¥662

$1.90 MX$32.94

117.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 ¥738

$2.08 MX$35.98

122.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 ¥531

$1.78 MX$30.77

86.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 ¥569

$2.19 MX$37.87

62.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ¥213

$1.04 MX$18.02

27.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥139

$1.08 MX$18.66

-19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 ¥653

$4.08 MX$70.7

Wine (Bottle)

$9.64 ¥1,541

$10.32 MX$179

-6.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥295

$1.71 MX$29.67

7.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥338

$2.58 MX$44.63

-18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥256

$0.51 MX$8.83

213.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.5 ¥8,722

$26.46 MX$459

106.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 ¥545

$3.26 MX$56.5

4.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 ¥463

$2.49 MX$43.17

16.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.09 ¥3,533

$3.25 MX$56.3

579.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥183

$1.31 MX$22.65

-12.21%

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

$23.1K ¥3.7M

$30.3K MX$524.7K

-23.77%

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

$18.2K ¥2.9M

$23.4K MX$406.0K

-22.41%

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

$84.5 ¥13.5K

$82.9 MX$1,436

1.95%

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

$27.96 ¥4,472

$22.22 MX$385

25.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.25 ¥2,759

$29.34 MX$508

-41.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 ¥9,068

$51.6 MX$895

9.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.60 ¥2,176

$18.32 MX$317

-25.76%

Cinema Ticket

$11.40 ¥1,823

$5.07 MX$87.8

124.85%

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

$283 ¥45.3K

$201 MX$3,480

41.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K ¥2.2M

$5,212 MX$90.3K

169.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.94 ¥6,548

$36.92 MX$640

10.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.67 ¥4,746

$39.79 MX$689

-25.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.3 ¥9,639

$78.5 MX$1,360

-23.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 ¥15.3K

$87.1 MX$1,509

10.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 ¥76.2K

$973 MX$16.9K

-51.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥53.1K

$468 MX$8,105

-29.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ¥140.5K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-46.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 ¥106.1K

$1,221 MX$21.2K

-45.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,662 ¥745.6K

$3,946 MX$68.4K

18.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,596 ¥415.2K

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-60.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,996 ¥319.3K

$664 MX$11.5K

200.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.05

11.42

-82.05%

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

Last update for Matsudo: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Matsudo pays 201% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Matsudo vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 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

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

Matsudo is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Matsudo pays 201% 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 Matsudo versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Matsudo runs roughly 106% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $283 in Matsudo versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,163 in Matsudo versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Matsudo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Matsudo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Matsudo 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, Matsudo 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.

Expats usually find Matsudo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.