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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,229 in Fukushima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,935 in Fukushima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,641 in Fukushima.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 3% more expensive than in Fukushima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Fukushima 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.52 ¥1,018

77.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$33.03 ¥5,154

42.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.11 ¥797

132.49%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.12 ¥486

27.56%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.19 ¥185

20.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.76 ¥119

7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.73 ¥425

16.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.24 ¥505

109.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.71 ¥267

-1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.52 ¥237

44.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$4.18 ¥653

-59.09%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.83 ¥285

49.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.98 ¥1,557

-4.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.18 ¥965

45.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$17.03 ¥2,657

-24.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$5.12 ¥798

-43.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.23 ¥347

-32.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.71 ¥423

-20.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$4.74 ¥739

-52.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.71 ¥423

-26.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.56 ¥399

-22.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.12 ¥175

9.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.78 ¥121

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.42 ¥533

33.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.23 ¥1,284

26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.74 ¥272

-6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.43 ¥380

18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.49 ¥232

-59.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$51.9 ¥8,095

-44.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$3.09 ¥482

74.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.52 ¥394

48.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$19.69 ¥3,073

-70.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.23 ¥192

25.20%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$20.5K ¥3.2M

9.89%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

96.03%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$155 ¥24.2K

-41.14%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$26.94 ¥4,204

-6.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$36.11 ¥5,635

-13.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$55.8 ¥8,713

20.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$13.90 ¥2,169

-65.04%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$515 ¥80.4K

-56.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$12.4K ¥1.9M

-65.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$47.34 ¥7,386

-0.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$37.39 ¥5,833

18.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$63.7 ¥9,938

25.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$99.2 ¥15.5K

-6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$507 ¥79.1K

109.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$332 ¥51.8K

17.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,169 ¥182.4K

83.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$795 ¥124.0K

60.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$4,016 ¥626.6K

-0.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$2,035 ¥317.6K

219.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.09

447.85%

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 Fukushima: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $507 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Fukushima. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $299, 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 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,843 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $507 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 8% 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 $33.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,229 in Fukushima versus $1,266 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 3% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.