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: $1,140 in Oita versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,739 in Oita versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,339 in Oita versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Oita costs roughly 9% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Oita 15% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.70 ¥926

$11.99 MX$209

-52.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.49 ¥6,741

$41.78 MX$728

-0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.99 ¥973

$10.75 MX$187

-44.28%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ¥328

$3.50 MX$60.9

-42.29%

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

$1.09 ¥177

$1.45 MX$25.22

-24.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥116

$0.88 MX$15.41

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 ¥562

$2.95 MX$51.3

17.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ¥502

$4.51 MX$78.6

-31.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥206

$1.43 MX$24.94

-11.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ¥216

$1.84 MX$31.99

-27.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 ¥669

$1.57 MX$27.31

162.42%

Eggs

$2.57 ¥418

$2.51 MX$43.74

2.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.73 ¥931

$8.28 MX$144

-30.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 ¥990

$8.43 MX$147

-27.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,869

$10.68 MX$186

7.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.36 ¥871

$2.61 MX$45.43

105.36%

Banana (1kg)

$4.95 ¥803

$1.44 MX$25.04

243.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.30 ¥861

$1.96 MX$34.16

170.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 ¥368

$2.09 MX$36.47

8.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 ¥229

$1.85 MX$32.24

-23.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ¥229

$2.17 MX$37.74

-35.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ¥201

$1.03 MX$17.96

19.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥131

$1.07 MX$18.70

-24.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥617

$4.10 MX$71.4

-7.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.12 ¥994

$10.17 MX$177

-39.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥334

$1.68 MX$29.17

22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥341

$2.53 MX$43.98

-17.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 ¥207

$0.51 MX$8.87

150.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.22 ¥5,559

$26.04 MX$453

31.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 ¥547

$3.23 MX$56.3

4.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 ¥319

$2.41 MX$41.88

-18.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.35 ¥3,144

$3.23 MX$56.2

499.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥197

$1.32 MX$23.00

-7.58%

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

$23.1K ¥3.7M

$29.7K MX$517.1K

-22.32%

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

$14.5K ¥2.4M

$23.7K MX$412.0K

-38.55%

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

$81.2 ¥13.2K

$82.0 MX$1,428

-1.04%

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

$27.71 ¥4,502

$22.95 MX$400

20.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.15 ¥3,598

$30.11 MX$524

-26.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 ¥9,060

$52.0 MX$905

7.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.81 ¥1,107

$18.53 MX$323

-63.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.21 ¥1,659

$4.98 MX$86.6

105.02%

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

$414 ¥67.2K

$197 MX$3,438

109.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K ¥2.2M

$5,336 MX$92.9K

151.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.05 ¥6,506

$35.60 MX$620

12.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.65 ¥4,818

$40.33 MX$702

-26.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 ¥10.9K

$78.8 MX$1,371

-14.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 ¥15.1K

$88.9 MX$1,549

4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 ¥76.4K

$947 MX$16.5K

-50.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ¥60.5K

$474 MX$8,254

-21.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ¥124.0K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-53.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 ¥91.3K

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-53.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,106 ¥667.1K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

1.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,771 ¥287.8K

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-72.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,258 ¥204.5K

$654 MX$11.4K

92.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.5

11.42

-86.87%

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

Last update for Oita: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $470 in Oita and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oita pays 92% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Oita vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 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

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

Oita wins on cost – living expenses run 10% 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 92% 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: $470 in Oita versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $414 in Oita versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,140 in Oita versus $1,256 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 $1,140 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 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.