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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,283 in Fukushima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,002 in Fukushima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,721 in Fukushima.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 1% more expensive than Fukushima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Fukushima 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$6.95 ¥1,115

68.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$37.41 ¥5,997

11.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$6.97 ¥1,118

52.65%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.4

$3.75 ¥601

-6.13%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$0.87 ¥140

73.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.84 ¥134

15.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$2.54 ¥407

16.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$3.18 ¥510

39.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.58 ¥253

-12.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.03

$1.58 ¥254

19.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$4.67 ¥748

-64.88%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$2.28 ¥365

10.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$9.98 ¥1,600

-16.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$6.25 ¥1,002

33.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$15.71 ¥2,518

-31.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.47

$5.35 ¥857

-51.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$2.64 ¥424

-44.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$3.91 ¥626

-51.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$6.03 ¥967

-65.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$3.14 ¥504

-43.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$2.61 ¥418

-16.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$1.32 ¥212

-21.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.83 ¥133

30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$4.12 ¥661

-0.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$7.86 ¥1,260

31.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$1.91 ¥306

-10.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.97

$2.25 ¥361

14.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$1.67 ¥268

-69.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$54.4 ¥8,713

-51.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$3.45 ¥553

-5.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.50

$2.96 ¥475

-15.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$20.60 ¥3,302

-84.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.17 ¥188

11.97%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

31.15%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$17.2K ¥2.8M

36.22%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$146 ¥23.3K

-43.10%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$26.64 ¥4,271

-16.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$33.90 ¥5,433

-13.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$56.8 ¥9,102

-9.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$13.69 ¥2,194

33.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$12.46 ¥1,997

-59.31%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$285 ¥45.6K

-29.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-61.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$42.48 ¥6,809

-13.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$28.97 ¥4,644

37.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$58.9 ¥9,448

33.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$91.2 ¥14.6K

-4.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$476 ¥76.4K

104.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,168

$326 ¥52.2K

43.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$876 ¥140.5K

87.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$649 ¥104.0K

88.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$4,247 ¥680.7K

-7.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$2,300 ¥368.6K

182.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

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 Fukushima: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $476 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Fukushima. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $316, 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 Fukushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukushima is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,925 in Fukushima to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $476 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Fukushima – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,283 in Fukushima versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fukushima but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Fukushima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fukushima is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Fukushima 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 Fukushima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.