Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Akita

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Akita: $1,202 and $1,229 a month, rent and utilities included.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Akita, Japan
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Akita
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,229
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Akita

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Akita actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,229 in Akita, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Akita $1,229

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,929 in Akita, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Akita $1,929

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,630 in Akita, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Akita $2,630

Playa del Carmen and Akita have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Playa del Carmen and Akita are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Akita 9% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Akita
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$200
$6.49 ¥1,028
64.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$819
$32.30 ¥5,114
35.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$220
$4.91 ¥777
140.12%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.8
$3.59 ¥568
5.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.26
$0.93 ¥147
39.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.59
$0.82 ¥130
1.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.9
$1.85 ¥293
70.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.3
$3.18 ¥504
55.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Akita
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$1.53 ¥243
-7.84%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$41.07
$1.57 ¥249
40.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.54
$4.28 ¥677
-65.65%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.70
$2.14 ¥339
16.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$10.25 ¥1,623
-28.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$149
$6.42 ¥1,016
23.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$241
$16.74 ¥2,650
-23.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$54.2
$3.82 ¥604
-24.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.87
$2.38 ¥376
-42.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.59
$2.95 ¥467
-15.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.97
$4.30 ¥681
-52.79%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.88
$2.48 ¥392
-18.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.60
$2.47 ¥391
-23.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.41
$1.24 ¥197
-8.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.17
$0.84 ¥133
47.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.9
$3.98 ¥630
7.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$184
$6.78 ¥1,073
44.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.66
$1.87 ¥296
-14.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.3
$2.11 ¥334
30.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Akita
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.63
$1.48 ¥235
-65.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$512
$57.8 ¥9,151
-52.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$89.1
$3.18 ¥504
49.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.8
$2.88 ¥456
12.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$101
$18.62 ¥2,949
-71.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.58
$1.33 ¥211
15.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$396.8K
$22.2K ¥3.5M
-4.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$435.1K
$15.5K ¥2.5M
49.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Akita
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,562
$134 ¥21.2K
-37.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$434
$24.28 ¥3,845
-4.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$516
$31.40 ¥4,971
-12.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Akita
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,056
$51.0 ¥8,081
10.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$527
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.5
$12.92 ¥2,046
-61.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Akita
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,873
$688 ¥109.0K
-69.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.8K
$12.5K ¥2.0M
-58.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Akita
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$813
$42.42 ¥6,716
2.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$796
$46.16 ¥7,308
-7.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,361
$88.5 ¥14.0K
-17.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,653
$89.5 ¥14.2K
-1.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Akita
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.6K
$556 ¥88.0K
78.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,152
$337 ¥53.4K
13.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.3K
$1,032 ¥163.4K
62.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.2K
$721 ¥114.2K
49.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$73.1K
$4,281 ¥677.8K
-8.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.8K
$2,350 ¥372.1K
161.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Akita
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.6K
$1,655 ¥262.0K
-49.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
2.21
418.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Akita: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Akita
$337 11.7% $45
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Akita
$291 13.1% $34
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Akita
$132 33.9% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Akita
$190 41.3% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Akita
$120 7.9% $8.8
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Akita
$77 15.7% $10
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Akita
$81 61.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $556 in Akita. 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 99% higher in Akita. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $32 in Akita. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $291 in Akita – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇯🇵 Akita
🕒 Local time
14:12 2:12 PM
04:12 4:12 AM
14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
307,672
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Akita 11,710 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Akita

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
Playa del Carmen vs Akita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Akita?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,843 in Akita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Playa del Carmen or Akita?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Akita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $556 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or in Akita?
Groceries cost about 13% more in Akita, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do childcare costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Akita?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $688 in Akita. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or in Akita?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,229 in Akita, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Playa del Carmen or Akita?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,229 in Akita. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Playa del Carmen or to Akita?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Akita makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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