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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,237 in Narita versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,921 in Narita versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,604 in Narita versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Narita costs roughly 3% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Narita 8% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.43 ¥869

$11.87 MX$204

-54.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.86 ¥6,694

$42.90 MX$736

-2.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥783

$10.65 MX$183

-54.08%

Cappuccino

$3.10 ¥495

$3.45 MX$59.2

-10.14%

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

$0.81 ¥129

$1.50 MX$25.81

-46.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥122

$0.95 MX$16.28

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ¥326

$3.03 MX$51.9

-32.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ¥491

$4.61 MX$79.1

-33.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥198

$1.38 MX$23.61

-10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ¥149

$1.85 MX$31.70

-49.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.94 ¥791

$1.61 MX$27.65

206.83%

Eggs

$2.18 ¥349

$2.59 MX$44.51

-15.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ¥1,637

$8.26 MX$142

23.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 ¥992

$8.37 MX$144

-25.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.20 ¥2,431

$10.66 MX$183

42.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 ¥956

$2.63 MX$45.12

127.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 ¥514

$1.49 MX$25.53

115.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 ¥640

$1.92 MX$32.94

108.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 ¥961

$2.09 MX$35.81

187.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 ¥536

$1.86 MX$31.88

80.11%

Onion (1kg)

$4.29 ¥687

$2.26 MX$38.81

89.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ¥212

$1.06 MX$18.23

25.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥132

$1.09 MX$18.67

-23.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ¥527

$4.15 MX$71.2

-20.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 ¥1,494

$10.39 MX$178

-10.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥281

$1.72 MX$29.59

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ¥323

$2.61 MX$44.85

-22.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 ¥258

$0.54 MX$9.30

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.1 ¥8,966

$26.94 MX$462

108.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 ¥541

$3.13 MX$53.7

7.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ¥258

$2.51 MX$43.09

-35.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.98 ¥3,516

$3.15 MX$54.1

597.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥178

$1.27 MX$21.88

-12.60%

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

$20.5K ¥3.3M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-32.48%

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

$18.5K ¥3.0M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-21.56%

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

$145 ¥23.2K

$83.0 MX$1,425

74.77%

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

$27.90 ¥4,462

$22.71 MX$390

22.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.00 ¥4,958

$29.46 MX$506

5.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 ¥9,082

$51.0 MX$875

11.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.80 ¥2,207

$18.33 MX$315

-24.71%

Cinema Ticket

$12.59 ¥2,014

$4.93 MX$84.5

155.38%

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

$286 ¥45.8K

$197 MX$3,386

44.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ¥2.2M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

157.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.20 ¥6,590

$36.90 MX$633

11.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.35 ¥4,695

$39.89 MX$685

-26.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.0 ¥9,431

$80.0 MX$1,373

-26.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ¥18.1K

$89.5 MX$1,536

26.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 ¥80.3K

$956 MX$16.4K

-47.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 ¥54.5K

$477 MX$8,189

-28.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 ¥140.7K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-46.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 ¥107.1K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-45.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,028 ¥644.2K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

2.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,454 ¥392.4K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-62.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,264 ¥202.2K

$667 MX$11.4K

89.56%

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 Narita: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $502 in Narita and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Narita pays 90% 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 Narita vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 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

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

Narita is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Narita pays 90% 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: $502 in Narita versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Narita runs roughly 108% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $286 in Narita versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,237 in Narita versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Narita but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Narita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Narita 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, Narita 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 Narita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.