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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,130 in Fukuyama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,811 in Fukuyama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,492 in Fukuyama.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 14% more expensive than in Fukuyama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Fukuyama 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$7.44 ¥1,163

57.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$31.00 ¥4,842

50.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$5.13 ¥801

127.10%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$3.35 ¥523

22.09%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.83 ¥129

65.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.52 ¥81.7

59.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.94 ¥302

72.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.20 ¥499

115.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$0.97 ¥152

78.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$0.84 ¥132

169.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$5.86 ¥915

-69.80%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$2.07 ¥323

31.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$8.75 ¥1,367

4.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$3.39 ¥530

163.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$10.85 ¥1,695

16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$5.11 ¥798

-40.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$2.27 ¥355

-30.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$5.11 ¥798

-58.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$3.63 ¥567

-37.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$1.84 ¥287

8.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$1.68 ¥263

22.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.96 ¥150

22.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.39 ¥61.7

207.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$3.94 ¥616

17.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$7.57 ¥1,183

41.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$1.56 ¥244

3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$3.20 ¥500

-10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$1.45 ¥227

-60.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$56.7 ¥8,859

-47.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$3.25 ¥508

67.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$3.79 ¥591

-2.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$20.29 ¥3,170

-70.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.00 ¥157

55.00%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$12.3K ¥1.9M

81.34%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

71.00%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$99.7 ¥15.6K

-10.62%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$19.06 ¥2,977

31.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$29.00 ¥4,530

8.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$49.74 ¥7,770

36.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$1.93 ¥301

1398.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$12.39 ¥1,935

-59.24%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$650 ¥101.6K

-65.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$6,566 ¥1.0M

-35.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$36.90 ¥5,765

28.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$30.71 ¥4,798

46.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$63.6 ¥9,938

28.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$100 ¥15.7K

-8.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$486 ¥75.9K

120.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$326 ¥50.9K

24.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$929 ¥145.1K

108.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$730 ¥114.0K

78.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$4,258 ¥665.2K

-6.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,863 ¥291.0K

255.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$1,354 ¥211.5K

-44.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1045.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Fukuyama: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $486 in Fukuyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fukuyama pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Fukuyama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $250 per month, with Fukuyama cheaper across the board.

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 Fukuyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukuyama wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fukuyama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Fukuyama. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $486 in Fukuyama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $650 in Fukuyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,130 in Fukuyama versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fukuyama but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Fukuyama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fukuyama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,130 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fukuyama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Fukuyama 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 Fukuyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.