Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nagoya and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,373 in Nagoya, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Nagoya
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Nagoya Living Index
59

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

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Nagoya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,373

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,373 in Nagoya versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Nagoya $1,373
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,176 in Nagoya versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Nagoya $2,176
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,979 in Nagoya versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Nagoya $2,979
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Nagoya is roughly 14% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nagoya is 1% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.56 ¥1,353

$10.86 MX$201

-21.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.66 ¥5,001

$44.21 MX$817

-28.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ¥809

$11.76 MX$217

-56.46%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ¥410

$3.68 MX$68.0

-29.62%

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

$1.26 ¥199

$1.34 MX$24.79

-5.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥140

$0.82 MX$15.24

7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 ¥500

$3.06 MX$56.6

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ¥508

$4.94 MX$91.2

-34.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥247

$1.47 MX$27.17

6.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ¥236

$2.22 MX$40.95

-32.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 ¥645

$1.48 MX$27.32

175.68%

Eggs

$2.19 ¥345

$2.49 MX$45.99

-12.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.51 ¥2,450

$7.52 MX$139

106.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.03 ¥1,110

$7.96 MX$147

-11.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.86 ¥2,664

$12.57 MX$232

34.13%

Apples (1kg)

$8.24 ¥1,302

$2.78 MX$51.3

196.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 ¥482

$1.43 MX$26.37

113.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.10 ¥805

$2.62 MX$48.37

94.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.96 ¥1,257

$2.14 MX$39.49

271.96%

Potato (1kg)

$4.11 ¥650

$2.02 MX$37.38

103.47%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 ¥735

$1.99 MX$36.74

133.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥183

$1.14 MX$21.01

1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$1.20 MX$22.18

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 ¥623

$4.26 MX$78.7

-7.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.24 ¥1,460

$10.02 MX$185

-7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ¥397

$1.54 MX$28.41

62.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥340

$2.66 MX$49.17

-19.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥233

$0.53 MX$9.73

179.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 ¥18.6K

$27.51 MX$508

328.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 ¥507

$4.90 MX$90.6

-34.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.83 ¥446

$3.43 MX$63.5

-17.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.07 ¥2,539

$5.38 MX$99.4

198.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥173

$1.45 MX$26.76

-24.14%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

2.19%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

-32.93%

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

$115 ¥18.1K

$85.4 MX$1,577

34.34%

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

$23.43 ¥3,702

$23.46 MX$434

-0.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.91 ¥4,883

$28.43 MX$525

8.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 ¥7,959

$62.2 MX$1,149

-18.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.78 ¥2,177

$28.68 MX$530

-51.95%

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 ¥2,003

$5.10 MX$94.3

148.63%

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

$573 ¥90.5K

$201 MX$3,715

184.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥2.4M

$3,947 MX$72.9K

277.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 ¥7,922

$44.39 MX$820

12.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 ¥5,601

$41.35 MX$764

-14.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.4 ¥9,543

$72.7 MX$1,344

-16.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.1 ¥15.3K

$89.6 MX$1,656

8.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥82.7K

$979 MX$18.1K

-46.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥55.7K

$373 MX$6,887

-5.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 ¥194.0K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-26.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ¥117.5K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-32.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,026 ¥320.1K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-48.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,039 ¥164.1K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-83.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,871 ¥295.6K

$738 MX$13.6K

153.67%

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 Nagoya: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nagoya

$380 27.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 32% $122

Accommodation & Living

Nagoya

$352 25.7%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 5.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nagoya

$169 12.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 18.8% $32

Eating Out

Nagoya

$146 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 37.3% $54

Getting Around

Nagoya

$141 10.3%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 63.4% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Nagoya

$109 8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 2% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nagoya

$76 5.5%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 4.4% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $523 in Nagoya and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nagoya pays 154% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Nagoya vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $380 vs $258, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Nagoya

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:55 7:55 PM

05:55 5:55 AM

14 h behind Nagoya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,236,000

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 23, 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 23, 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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Nagoya Playa del Carmen 12,270 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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Nagoya
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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 154% higher in Nagoya, 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: $523 in Nagoya versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 329% less than in Nagoya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $573 in Nagoya versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,373 in Nagoya, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Nagoya. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nagoya, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nagoya 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Nagoya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.