Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Asahikawa

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Asahikawa: $1,204 and $1,189 a month, rent and utilities included.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Asahikawa
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Asahikawa Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Asahikawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,189

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Asahikawa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,189 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Asahikawa $1,189

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,948 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Asahikawa $1,948

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,706 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Asahikawa $2,706

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

Both Playa del Carmen and Asahikawa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Asahikawa 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$6.31 ¥997

73.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$32.58 ¥5,146

33.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$4.55 ¥719

158.90%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$3.10 ¥490

22.90%

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

$1.26 ¥199

1.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

$0.71 ¥112

9.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

$2.87 ¥453

10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$3.00 ¥474

64.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$1.52 ¥241

-7.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

$1.52 ¥239

46.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$3.95 ¥624

-64.05%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$2.26 ¥358

11.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$10.74 ¥1,696

-32.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$6.72 ¥1,061

14.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$16.29 ¥2,573

-22.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$3.20 ¥505

-13.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$2.62 ¥414

-47.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

$2.46 ¥388

3.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

$4.62 ¥730

-54.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

$2.73 ¥431

-28.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

$2.31 ¥365

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

$1.37 ¥216

-16.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$0.87 ¥137

35.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$3.94 ¥622

9.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$7.66 ¥1,210

29.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

$1.76 ¥277

-10.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.87 ¥296

42.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

$1.64 ¥259

-66.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

$53.1 ¥8,393

-49.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

$3.07 ¥485

61.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

$2.68 ¥423

24.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$21.03 ¥3,321

-74.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

$1.17 ¥185

23.08%

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

$22.6K ¥3.6M

-8.52%

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

$13.6K ¥2.2M

71.91%

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

$154 ¥24.3K

-44.97%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$25.29 ¥3,993

-7.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$34.28 ¥5,414

-16.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

$55.3 ¥8,733

3.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

$12.20 ¥1,926

-57.87%

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

$207 MX$3,871

$630 ¥99.5K

-67.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$11.3K ¥1.8M

-65.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

$51.4 ¥8,114

-15.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$27.99 ¥4,420

48.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

$59.6 ¥9,418

24.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

$102 ¥16.1K

-12.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$611 ¥96.5K

60.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$291 ¥45.9K

30.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$987 ¥155.9K

73.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$809 ¥127.8K

32.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

$4,455 ¥703.6K

-11.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

$2,602 ¥411.0K

136.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Asahikawa: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Asahikawa

$291 24.4% 23.6% $90

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Asahikawa

$291 24.5% 14.3% $36

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Asahikawa

$130 10.9% 36% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Asahikawa

$214 18% 56.1% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Asahikawa

$109 9.1% 2.9% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Asahikawa

$80 6.7% 18.4% $12

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Asahikawa

$76 6.4% 51% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $611 in Asahikawa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $33 in Asahikawa. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $291 in Asahikawa – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇯🇵 Asahikawa

🕒 Local time

09:31 9:31 AM

23:31 11:31 PM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

329,306

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Asahikawa 11,260 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Asahikawa

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 Asahikawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,784 in Asahikawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Asahikawa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $611 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $630 in Asahikawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,189 in Asahikawa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,189 in Asahikawa to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.