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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,212 in Nagasaki versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,912 in Nagasaki versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,611 in Nagasaki versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Nagasaki costs roughly 5% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nagasaki 10% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 ¥874

$11.87 MX$204

-54.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.08 ¥3,372

$42.90 MX$736

-50.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.56 ¥890

$10.65 MX$183

-47.79%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥485

$3.45 MX$59.2

-12.17%

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

$1.04 ¥166

$1.50 MX$25.81

-30.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥119

$0.95 MX$16.28

-22.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 ¥400

$3.03 MX$51.9

-17.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 ¥382

$4.61 MX$79.1

-48.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥248

$1.38 MX$23.61

12.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ¥197

$1.85 MX$31.70

-33.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 ¥648

$1.61 MX$27.65

151.55%

Eggs

$2.22 ¥355

$2.59 MX$44.51

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ¥1,677

$8.26 MX$142

26.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥557

$8.37 MX$144

-58.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.73 ¥3,315

$10.66 MX$183

94.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 ¥489

$2.63 MX$45.12

16.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ¥228

$1.49 MX$25.53

-4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ¥216

$1.92 MX$32.94

-29.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.94 ¥950

$2.09 MX$35.81

184.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 ¥450

$1.86 MX$31.88

51.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 ¥523

$2.26 MX$38.81

44.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ¥147

$1.06 MX$18.23

-13.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥84.6

$1.09 MX$18.67

-51.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 ¥617

$4.15 MX$71.2

-6.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 ¥990

$10.39 MX$178

-40.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥307

$1.72 MX$29.59

11.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥330

$2.61 MX$44.85

-21.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ¥162

$0.54 MX$9.30

87.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 ¥18.3K

$26.94 MX$462

325.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 ¥644

$3.13 MX$53.7

28.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 ¥473

$2.51 MX$43.09

17.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.97 ¥3,193

$3.15 MX$54.1

533.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ¥192

$1.27 MX$21.88

-5.51%

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-22.59%

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

$20.3K ¥3.3M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-13.68%

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

$219 ¥35.1K

$83.0 MX$1,425

164.04%

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

$27.32 ¥4,370

$22.71 MX$390

20.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.23 ¥5,794

$29.46 MX$506

22.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 ¥8,843

$51.0 MX$875

8.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.05 ¥2,247

$18.33 MX$315

-23.35%

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 ¥2,206

$4.93 MX$84.5

179.72%

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

$260 ¥41.6K

$197 MX$3,386

31.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

151.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.07 ¥7,049

$36.90 MX$633

19.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.14 ¥4,660

$39.89 MX$685

-26.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 ¥10.7K

$80.0 MX$1,373

-16.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 ¥9,685

$89.5 MX$1,536

-32.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$316 ¥50.5K

$956 MX$16.4K

-66.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 ¥32.7K

$477 MX$8,189

-57.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥136.3K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-48.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 ¥106.8K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-45.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,621 ¥739.1K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

17.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,324 ¥371.7K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-64.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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 Nagasaki: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $316 in Nagasaki and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Nagasaki vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $250, 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

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

Nagasaki is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,818 in Nagasaki and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $316 in Nagasaki versus $956 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 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Nagasaki – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,212 in Nagasaki versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nagasaki but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nagasaki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nagasaki 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, Nagasaki 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 Nagasaki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.