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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,263 in Fukushima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,991 in Fukushima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,718 in Fukushima.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 1% less than in Fukushima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Fukushima 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.90 ¥1,126

73.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$727

$36.55 ¥5,965

14.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.09 ¥1,157

51.62%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.8

$3.77 ¥615

-7.16%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.91 ¥148

59.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.40

$0.81 ¥133

8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.62 ¥427

12.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.5

$3.06 ¥500

47.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.92

$1.59 ¥259

-10.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.98

$1.55 ¥252

18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.30

$4.87 ¥796

-67.76%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.72

$2.21 ¥360

13.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.21 ¥1,667

-18.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.50 ¥1,061

29.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$15.38 ¥2,509

-30.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.40

$5.25 ¥857

-50.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.03

$2.53 ¥413

-43.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.15

$3.94 ¥644

-50.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.45

$6.02 ¥982

-65.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.22

$3.05 ¥497

-39.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.72

$2.58 ¥421

-15.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.95

$1.38 ¥225

-25.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.69

$0.85 ¥138

25.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.08 ¥665

0.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.49 ¥1,223

35.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.15

$1.90 ¥311

-11.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$2.17 ¥355

16.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.86

$1.67 ¥273

-69.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$54.7 ¥8,932

-52.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.49 ¥569

-7.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.86

$3.00 ¥490

-19.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$20.66 ¥3,371

-84.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.99

$1.23 ¥201

7.32%

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

$29.7K MX$516.8K

$23.4K ¥3.8M

26.66%

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

$23.7K MX$411.8K

$17.0K ¥2.8M

38.94%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$145 ¥23.7K

-43.50%

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

$22.95 MX$399

$27.39 ¥4,469

-16.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$34.20 ¥5,581

-11.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$904

$56.2 ¥9,176

-7.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$322

$13.97 ¥2,280

32.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$12.24 ¥1,998

-59.31%

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

$197 MX$3,436

$285 ¥46.5K

-30.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$13.7K ¥2.2M

-60.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$619

$43.31 ¥7,068

-17.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$28.98 ¥4,730

39.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,370

$60.7 ¥9,909

29.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,548

$91.7 ¥15.0K

-2.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$473 ¥77.2K

100.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,249

$323 ¥52.7K

46.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$872 ¥142.4K

88.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$646 ¥105.3K

87.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$4,918 ¥802.6K

-17.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.6K

$2,332 ¥380.6K

177.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Fukushima: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $473 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 $315, 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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,895 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $473 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Fukushima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,263 in Fukushima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fukushima. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Fukushima, 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Fukushima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.