Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Atsugi

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,265 in Atsugi, rent and utilities included – about $730 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Atsugi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Atsugi
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Atsugi Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Atsugi

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,265

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,265 in Atsugi.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Atsugi $1,265

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,187 in Atsugi.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Atsugi $2,187

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,108 in Atsugi.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Atsugi $3,108

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 5% less than in Atsugi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Atsugi 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$7.85 ¥1,239

39.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$25.21 ¥3,975

72.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.11 ¥805

130.53%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.92 ¥303

98.44%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.98 ¥155

30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.71 ¥113

9.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$2.64 ¥416

20.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.14 ¥495

57.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.58 ¥250

-10.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$1.55 ¥245

43.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$4.06 ¥640

-65.02%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.05 ¥324

22.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$16.16 ¥2,548

-55.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$4.53 ¥715

69.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$12.36 ¥1,950

2.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$5.51 ¥868

-49.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$2.01 ¥316

-31.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$3.84 ¥605

-33.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$2.80 ¥442

-24.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$2.69 ¥424

-27.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$1.97 ¥310

-4.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$1.14 ¥180

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.90 ¥142

31.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$3.47 ¥548

23.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$9.73 ¥1,534

2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.62 ¥256

-2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$2.12 ¥334

25.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$2.60 ¥410

-78.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$56.8 ¥8,962

-53.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$3.11 ¥490

59.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$2.82 ¥444

18.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$9.34 ¥1,473

-42.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.07 ¥169

34.58%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$12.9K ¥2.0M

60.01%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

53.13%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$236 ¥37.2K

-64.03%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$14.20 ¥2,240

64.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$31.14 ¥4,911

-7.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$52.3 ¥8,246

9.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$7.77 ¥1,224

272.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$12.66 ¥1,997

-59.40%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$314 ¥49.5K

-34.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$6,091 ¥960.5K

-35.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$41.57 ¥6,554

4.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$24.45 ¥3,856

69.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$54.5 ¥8,600

36.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$31.86 ¥5,023

180.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$554 ¥87.4K

76.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$333 ¥52.6K

14.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,036 ¥163.3K

64.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$1,264 ¥199.3K

-14.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$4,039 ¥636.9K

-2.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$2,650 ¥417.8K

132.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$3,703 ¥583.9K

-80.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.02

466.83%

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 Atsugi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Atsugi

$333 26.4% 12.5% $47

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Atsugi

$292 23.1% 14.7% $37

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Atsugi

$127 10.1% 37% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Atsugi

$281 22.2% 105% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Atsugi

$69 5.4% 38.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Atsugi

$78 6.1% 15.3% $10

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Atsugi

$84 6.7% 67.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $554 in Atsugi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atsugi pays about 5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $25 in Atsugi. Groceries flip the comparison at $255 vs $292, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇯🇵 Atsugi

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

21:14 9:14 PM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

223,705

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 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 = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Atsugi 12,090 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Atsugi

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 Atsugi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,265 in Atsugi, so Playa del Carmen is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $554 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 $25 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,265 in Atsugi – Playa del Carmen is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Playa del Carmen gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Atsugi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.