Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ebina

For one person, living is cheaper in Ebina: $1,149 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $660 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Ebina, Japan
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Ebina
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,149
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,149 in Ebina.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Ebina $1,149

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,830 in Ebina.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Ebina $1,830

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,511 in Ebina.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Ebina $2,511

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than in Ebina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Ebina 16% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Ebina
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$6.40 ¥1,009
70.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$815
$31.28 ¥4,933
38.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$4.46 ¥704
164.13%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.6
$2.58 ¥407
47.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.10
$0.92 ¥146
39.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.71
$0.74 ¥117
5.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$1.94 ¥306
63.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$3.08 ¥486
60.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Ebina
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.43
$1.23 ¥194
14.63%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.66
$0.98 ¥154
126.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.64
$3.89 ¥614
-63.50%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.41
$1.42 ¥224
77.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$137
$16.00 ¥2,522
-54.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$145
$3.13 ¥494
146.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$239
$17.59 ¥2,774
-27.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$4.95 ¥781
-43.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.71
$1.25 ¥197
9.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.94
$3.76 ¥594
-32.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.90
$2.58 ¥407
-17.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.43
$2.60 ¥411
-25.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.44
$3.11 ¥490
-39.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.55
$1.18 ¥186
-2.54%
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
$3.83 ¥603
12.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$9.47 ¥1,494
5.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.76
$1.91 ¥302
-17.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.2
$2.17 ¥343
23.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Ebina
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.40
$1.44 ¥227
-61.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
$58.0 ¥9,139
-54.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.4
$3.24 ¥511
53.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.6
$2.79 ¥439
19.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$15.99 ¥2,522
-66.48%
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
$21.8K ¥3.4M
-5.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$441.0K
$15.4K ¥2.4M
52.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Ebina
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,594
$115 ¥18.1K
-26.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$440
$24.50 ¥3,863
-4.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$539
$30.96 ¥4,882
-7.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Ebina
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,072
$51.8 ¥8,160
10.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
$19.34 ¥3,050
49.48%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.6
$12.59 ¥1,985
-59.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Ebina
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,882
$289 ¥45.6K
-28.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.8K
$14.6K ¥2.3M
-73.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Ebina
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$815
$31.58 ¥4,979
37.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$779
$32.10 ¥5,061
29.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,394
$61.6 ¥9,708
20.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,677
$64.3 ¥10.1K
38.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Ebina
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$546 ¥86.1K
79.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,157
$335 ¥52.8K
13.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$1,032 ¥162.8K
65.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
$738 ¥116.4K
45.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.1K
$4,590 ¥723.8K
-14.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.7K
$2,117 ¥333.8K
190.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Ebina
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$1,943 ¥306.4K
-62.19%
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 Ebina: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Ebina
$335 12.1% $46
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Ebina
$282 10.8% $28
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Ebina
$118 41.7% $84
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Ebina
$170 24.5% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Ebina
$85 23.6% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Ebina
$77 14.3% $9.6
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Ebina
$81 60.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $546 in Ebina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ebina pays about 2.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $31 in Ebina. Groceries flip the comparison at $255 vs $282, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇯🇵 Ebina
🕒 Local time
22:53 10:53 PM
12:53 12:53 PM
14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
130,678
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Ebina 12,090 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Ebina

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 Ebina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ebina cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Ebina is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Playa del Carmen or Ebina?
On paper, salaries run 62% 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.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Ebina?
Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $546 in Ebina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Ebina?
Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Ebina?
Dining out is cheaper in Ebina – a meal for two runs $31 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 enough for either Playa del Carmen or Ebina?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Ebina gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Ebina?
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.

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