Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,399 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Okinawa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,399

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,399 per month in Okinawa vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Okinawa $1,399
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Okinawa vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Okinawa $2,189
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $2,979 per month in Okinawa vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Okinawa $2,979
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Okinawa costs about 15% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Okinawa sits 4% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ¥1,603

$10.97 MX$201

-7.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.78 ¥6,295

$44.85 MX$823

-11.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,114

$11.92 MX$219

-40.94%

Cappuccino

$4.26 ¥675

$3.80 MX$69.9

12.11%

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

$1.47 ¥233

$1.31 MX$24.08

12.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥158

$0.86 MX$15.72

16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 ¥318

$3.21 MX$59.0

-37.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ¥720

$5.01 MX$92.0

-9.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ¥259

$1.46 MX$26.77

12.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 ¥341

$2.33 MX$42.72

-7.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 ¥607

$1.44 MX$26.48

166.67%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥277

$2.46 MX$45.20

-28.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.94 ¥2,839

$7.70 MX$141

132.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 ¥771

$7.89 MX$145

-38.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.16 ¥3,507

$12.80 MX$235

73.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 ¥573

$2.92 MX$53.6

23.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 ¥417

$1.42 MX$26.11

85.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ¥338

$2.57 MX$47.10

-16.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 ¥820

$2.14 MX$39.24

142.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 ¥381

$1.95 MX$35.75

23.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥408

$1.94 MX$35.55

32.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ¥208

$1.15 MX$21.13

13.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥117

$1.22 MX$22.42

-39.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥631

$4.38 MX$80.3

-8.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 ¥1,016

$9.85 MX$181

-34.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥295

$1.54 MX$28.23

21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥505

$2.72 MX$49.86

17.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 ¥233

$0.52 MX$9.64

182.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 ¥10.6K

$27.42 MX$503

145.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 ¥628

$4.91 MX$90.2

-19.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.56 ¥564

$3.52 MX$64.7

1.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.44 ¥1,810

$5.69 MX$104

101.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$1.54 MX$28.27

-29.22%

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

$21.3K ¥3.4M

$21.2K MX$389.9K

0.05%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$24.5K MX$449.6K

-37.09%

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

$162 ¥25.6K

$83.6 MX$1,535

93.68%

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

$24.91 ¥3,943

$24.03 MX$441

3.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 ¥8,513

$29.33 MX$539

83.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.3 ¥11.3K

$64.9 MX$1,191

9.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,689

$29.46 MX$541

86.39%

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 ¥1,927

$5.09 MX$93.4

139.10%

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

$329 ¥52.1K

$208 MX$3,813

58.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,538 ¥876.3K

$4,045 MX$74.3K

36.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 ¥7,923

$44.55 MX$818

12.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.29 ¥3,685

$42.06 MX$772

-44.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥12.5K

$75.5 MX$1,387

4.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 ¥15.0K

$91.4 MX$1,678

3.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 ¥63.9K

$986 MX$18.1K

-59.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥51.9K

$385 MX$7,072

-14.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 ¥130.6K

$1,713 MX$31.5K

-51.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 ¥105.0K

$1,108 MX$20.4K

-40.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,594 ¥1.4M

$4,016 MX$73.7K

114.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,206 ¥190.8K

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-80.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,849 ¥292.6K

$758 MX$13.9K

143.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

11.45

-80.52%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$328 23.8%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 20.7% $68

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$328 23.8%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 17.4% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 43.1% $104

Eating Out

Okinawa

$182 13.2%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 11.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$111 8%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 2.8% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$96 6.9%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 21.6% $21

Getting Around

Okinawa

$95 6.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 45.1% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $404 in Okinawa versus $986 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 144% higher in Okinawa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Okinawa versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $328 in Okinawa vs $260 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:22 11:22 PM

09:22 9:22 AM

14 h behind Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

149,923

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Okinawa Playa del Carmen 13,560 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Okinawa
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

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

Yes – Okinawa is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,098 per month in Okinawa and $1,823 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Okinawa and $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,399 in Okinawa and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 15%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Okinawa at $1,399. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Okinawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Okinawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.