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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $968 in Oita versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,610 in Oita versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,253 in Oita versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Oita costs roughly 25% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Oita 30% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 ¥775

$11.71 MX$198

-57.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.11 ¥6,579

$46.59 MX$787

-9.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 ¥896

$11.65 MX$197

-50.73%

Cappuccino

$1.94 ¥302

$4.09 MX$69.2

-52.57%

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

$1.06 ¥166

$1.37 MX$23.23

-22.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥95.8

$0.83 MX$14.09

-26.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ¥500

$3.35 MX$56.7

-4.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥335

$6.91 MX$117

-69.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥206

$1.73 MX$29.19

-23.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ¥194

$2.26 MX$38.20

-45.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.22 ¥972

$1.77 MX$29.90

251.41%

Eggs

$2.19 ¥342

$2.73 MX$46.18

-19.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.05 ¥477

$9.18 MX$155

-66.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.46 ¥853

$8.92 MX$151

-38.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 ¥1,960

$12.60 MX$213

-0.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ¥342

$3.02 MX$51.1

-27.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥198

$1.57 MX$26.54

-19.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 ¥247

$2.13 MX$35.92

-25.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ¥312

$2.26 MX$38.27

-11.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ¥194

$2.00 MX$33.87

-38.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥200

$2.06 MX$34.89

-37.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ¥142

$1.18 MX$19.94

-22.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥153

$1.20 MX$20.35

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥594

$4.63 MX$78.3

-17.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 ¥980

$10.69 MX$181

-41.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ¥246

$1.62 MX$27.37

-2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ¥293

$2.88 MX$48.69

-34.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥231

$0.57 MX$9.69

159.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 ¥8,682

$29.83 MX$504

86.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 ¥627

$5.45 MX$92.1

-26.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ¥315

$3.70 MX$62.6

-45.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.55 ¥2,742

$5.98 MX$101

193.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥172

$1.55 MX$26.25

-29.03%

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

$21.2K ¥3.3M

$22.3K MX$377.3K

-4.89%

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

$17.0K ¥2.7M

$25.9K MX$438.5K

-34.45%

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

$49.78 ¥7,776

$89.1 MX$1,506

-44.15%

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

$25.01 ¥3,908

$25.04 MX$423

-0.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.56 ¥5,086

$31.50 MX$532

3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.61 ¥7,750

$67.8 MX$1,145

-26.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$9.50 ¥1,485

$5.05 MX$85.3

88.12%

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

$123 ¥19.3K

$225 MX$3,802

-45.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥1.9M

$4,222 MX$71.4K

186.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.43 ¥5,848

$47.44 MX$802

-21.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.59 ¥3,685

$44.98 MX$760

-47.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 ¥9,275

$82.0 MX$1,386

-27.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.28 ¥7,230

$92.1 MX$1,556

-49.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 ¥73.0K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-56.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ¥50.0K

$405 MX$6,850

-21.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 ¥168.1K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-44.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ¥112.0K

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-44.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 ¥688.4K

$3,995 MX$67.5K

10.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,908 ¥298.1K

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-71.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$992 ¥154.9K

$749 MX$12.7K

32.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.97

11.45

-82.79%

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

Last update for Oita: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $468 in Oita and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oita pays 32% 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 Oita vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $277 per month, with Oita cheaper across the board.

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

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

Oita wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oita the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Oita, 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: $468 in Oita versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $123 in Oita versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $968 in Oita versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oita but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Oita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oita delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $968 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oita hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Oita 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 Oita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.