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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,347 in Osaka versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,036 in Osaka versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,725 in Osaka versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Osaka is roughly 7% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 1% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.75 ¥1,064

$11.72 MX$203

-42.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.24 ¥5,553

$41.89 MX$725

-15.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 ¥749

$10.51 MX$182

-54.80%

Cappuccino

$3.29 ¥518

$3.59 MX$62.0

-8.36%

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

$1.10 ¥173

$1.51 MX$26.10

-27.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥120

$0.92 MX$15.83

-17.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 ¥445

$2.96 MX$51.2

-4.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ¥695

$4.41 MX$76.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥250

$1.40 MX$24.16

13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.88 MX$32.60

-23.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.78 ¥753

$1.56 MX$26.97

206.41%

Eggs

$2.33 ¥367

$2.61 MX$45.14

-10.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 ¥1,671

$8.32 MX$144

27.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 ¥1,007

$8.35 MX$145

-23.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 ¥2,973

$10.86 MX$188

73.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 ¥577

$2.71 MX$46.93

35.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ¥334

$1.51 MX$26.04

40.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 ¥396

$1.87 MX$32.41

34.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 ¥699

$2.19 MX$37.89

102.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ¥262

$1.86 MX$32.14

-10.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ¥199

$2.23 MX$38.59

-43.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ¥209

$1.07 MX$18.48

24.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥138

$1.09 MX$18.79

-20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ¥625

$4.19 MX$72.4

-5.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.05 ¥1,426

$10.43 MX$180

-13.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥320

$1.66 MX$28.68

22.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ¥458

$2.61 MX$45.19

11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 ¥250

$0.54 MX$9.37

194.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.37 ¥5,574

$26.16 MX$453

35.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 ¥700

$3.08 MX$53.3

44.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 ¥528

$2.40 MX$41.61

39.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.70 ¥3,734

$3.13 MX$54.1

657.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥188

$1.31 MX$22.69

-9.16%

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

$23.1K ¥3.6M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-22.51%

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

$16.9K ¥2.7M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-27.71%

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

$135 ¥21.3K

$81.3 MX$1,406

66.12%

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

$27.52 ¥4,336

$22.56 MX$390

21.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.63 ¥4,826

$30.05 MX$520

1.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 ¥9,020

$52.9 MX$915

8.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.14 ¥3,331

$18.39 MX$318

14.95%

Cinema Ticket

$12.25 ¥1,930

$4.92 MX$85.1

148.98%

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

$68.0 ¥10.7K

$201 MX$3,474

-66.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ¥1.6M

$5,175 MX$89.5K

101.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.66 ¥7,037

$35.92 MX$622

24.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.96 ¥4,563

$40.13 MX$694

-27.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 ¥10.8K

$79.7 MX$1,379

-13.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ¥15.2K

$86.5 MX$1,496

11.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ¥113.6K

$978 MX$16.9K

-26.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥74.6K

$470 MX$8,140

0.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ¥204.5K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-21.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 ¥128.9K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-32.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,971 ¥940.9K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

51.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,029 ¥319.7K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-69.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,868 ¥294.3K

$677 MX$11.7K

176.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.81

11.42

-84.15%

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

Last update for Osaka: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Osaka and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 176% 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: $35.00 in Osaka vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $252, 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

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

Osaka and Playa del Carmen differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,347 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 176% higher in Osaka, 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: $721 in Osaka versus $978 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 35% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $68.0 in Osaka versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,347 in Osaka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Osaka 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 7% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.