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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,166 in Atsugi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,863 in Atsugi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,560 in Atsugi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 11% more expensive than Atsugi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Atsugi 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$8.19 ¥1,310

43.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$27.23 ¥4,355

52.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.36 ¥1,017

67.30%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.02 ¥324

74.26%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.05 ¥168

43.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.75 ¥121

29.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.93 ¥469

0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.15 ¥505

41.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.67 ¥268

-17.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.81 ¥290

4.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$4.95 ¥792

-66.87%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.16 ¥346

16.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$17.46 ¥2,793

-52.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.73 ¥756

76.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$15.75 ¥2,520

-31.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$5.64 ¥902

-53.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$2.09 ¥334

-30.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$4.10 ¥656

-53.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$2.98 ¥476

-30.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$2.63 ¥420

-32.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$2.02 ¥322

8.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.33 ¥212

-21.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.94 ¥150

14.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.49 ¥558

16.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$9.24 ¥1,478

11.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.78 ¥285

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.36 ¥378

9.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$2.90 ¥464

-82.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$48.59 ¥7,772

-45.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$3.56 ¥570

-8.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$3.02 ¥483

-17.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$10.33 ¥1,652

-68.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.19 ¥191

10.08%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

119.43%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$16.7K ¥2.7M

40.56%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$143 ¥22.9K

-41.99%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$15.29 ¥2,446

45.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$33.50 ¥5,358

-12.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$68.6 ¥11.0K

-24.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$13.98 ¥2,236

31.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$12.27 ¥1,962

-58.68%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$343 ¥54.8K

-41.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$6,697 ¥1.1M

-22.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$42.62 ¥6,817

-13.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$25.52 ¥4,081

55.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$55.9 ¥8,937

40.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$34.15 ¥5,462

155.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$421 ¥67.4K

130.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$275 ¥44.0K

70.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$861 ¥137.7K

90.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$650 ¥103.9K

87.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$3,656 ¥584.7K

-81.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

1.78

541.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Atsugi: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $421 in Atsugi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atsugi pays 451% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Atsugi. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $319, 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 ($1,297 vs $1,166 including rent). Atsugi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Atsugi earns 451% less. 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $421 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 $27.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,166 in Atsugi – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,166 in Atsugi versus $1,297 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.