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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,219 in Amagasaki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,922 in Amagasaki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,626 in Amagasaki.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 4% more expensive than in Amagasaki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Amagasaki 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$6.54 ¥1,022

77.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$36.57 ¥5,711

28.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$4.86 ¥759

144.44%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.96 ¥462

34.46%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.28 ¥200

11.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.73 ¥114

12.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.67 ¥417

19.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.55 ¥554

91.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.30 ¥203

29.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.70 ¥265

29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$4.07 ¥636

-57.99%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.08 ¥324

31.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$9.87 ¥1,541

-2.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.11 ¥953

47.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$16.26 ¥2,539

-21.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$4.59 ¥716

-37.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.73 ¥426

-45.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.92 ¥457

-26.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$3.78 ¥591

-40.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.52 ¥394

-21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.25 ¥352

-11.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.35 ¥210

-8.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.81 ¥127

48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$4.50 ¥703

1.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.34 ¥1,302

24.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.97 ¥307

-17.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.30 ¥359

25.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.61 ¥251

-62.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$57.5 ¥8,981

-49.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$2.83 ¥442

90.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$3.11 ¥486

19.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$22.40 ¥3,498

-74.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.06 ¥166

45.28%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$22.2K ¥3.5M

1.44%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$16.3K ¥2.5M

59.97%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$119 ¥18.6K

-23.26%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$26.38 ¥4,120

-4.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$32.92 ¥5,141

-5.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$50.2 ¥7,840

33.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$10.90 ¥1,702

-55.41%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$545 ¥85.0K

-58.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$13.0K ¥2.0M

-67.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$48.52 ¥7,577

-2.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$35.54 ¥5,550

24.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$67.2 ¥10.5K

19.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$89.5 ¥14.0K

3.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$556 ¥86.8K

91.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$324 ¥50.6K

20.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,036 ¥161.8K

107.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$840 ¥131.1K

51.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$3,332 ¥520.3K

20.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,677 ¥261.8K

287.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$3,097 ¥483.6K

-75.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.09

447.85%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Amagasaki: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $556 in Amagasaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amagasaki pays 308% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Amagasaki. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $292, 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Amagasaki differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,219 including rent). Amagasaki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 308% lower in Amagasaki. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $556 in Amagasaki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Amagasaki – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,219 in Amagasaki versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Amagasaki but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Amagasaki 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.

Expats usually find Amagasaki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.