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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,142 in Atsugi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,094 in Atsugi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,045 in Atsugi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 11% more expensive than in Atsugi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Atsugi 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$8.06 ¥1,258

43.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$26.28 ¥4,103

79.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$5.30 ¥828

124.15%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.88 ¥294

111.70%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.00 ¥157

43.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.73 ¥115

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

$3.27 ¥511

107.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.59 ¥249

5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.59 ¥249

38.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$4.30 ¥672

-60.23%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.03 ¥318

34.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$15.94 ¥2,489

-39.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.59 ¥717

96.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$12.34 ¥1,926

3.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$5.51 ¥861

-47.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.00 ¥312

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$3.95 ¥616

-45.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.73 ¥426

-17.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.69 ¥420

-26.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.03 ¥316

-1.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.16 ¥181

6.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.92 ¥143

30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.62 ¥566

25.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$9.82 ¥1,534

5.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.66 ¥259

-2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.22 ¥346

29.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$2.66 ¥415

-77.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$58.7 ¥9,167

-50.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.31 ¥517

62.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.96 ¥462

26.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$9.68 ¥1,511

-40.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.09 ¥170

41.28%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$13.1K ¥2.0M

72.59%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$15.7K ¥2.5M

65.90%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$117 ¥18.2K

-21.58%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$14.80 ¥2,312

70.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$31.54 ¥4,925

-0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$52.2 ¥8,147

28.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$7.64 ¥1,193

281.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$11.56 ¥1,805

-57.96%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$320 ¥49.9K

-30.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$6,174 ¥964.2K

-31.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$41.85 ¥6,535

12.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$24.32 ¥3,797

82.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$54.7 ¥8,534

46.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$32.37 ¥5,055

186.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$515 ¥80.4K

106.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$331 ¥51.6K

18.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,029 ¥160.7K

108.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$1,269 ¥198.1K

0.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$3,600 ¥562.2K

11.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,563 ¥244.1K

315.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$3,867 ¥603.9K

-80.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.66

589.76%

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 Atsugi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $515 in Atsugi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atsugi pays 410% 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 $26.00 in Atsugi. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $294, 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 Atsugi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Atsugi differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,142 including rent). Atsugi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 410% lower in Atsugi. 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 $515 in Atsugi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Atsugi – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,142 in Atsugi – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,142 in Atsugi versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Atsugi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Atsugi 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, Playa del Carmen and Atsugi 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 Atsugi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.