Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gifu

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,267 in Gifu, rent and utilities included – about $760 less a year. The total is higher in Gifu despite lower rent and utilities.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Gifu, Japan
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Gifu
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,267
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,267 in Gifu.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Gifu $1,267

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,040 in Gifu.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Gifu $2,040

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,814 in Gifu.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Gifu $2,814

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 5% less than in Gifu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Gifu 7% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Gifu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$204
$7.71 ¥1,217
41.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$31.30 ¥4,941
38.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$220
$4.85 ¥765
142.89%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$2.31 ¥364
64.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.90
$1.18 ¥186
8.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.59
$0.62 ¥97.3
25.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$2.12 ¥335
49.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.0
$2.37 ¥374
108.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Gifu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.50 ¥237
-6.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.33
$1.32 ¥208
68.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.42
$5.52 ¥871
-74.28%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.03
$2.09 ¥330
20.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$12.52 ¥1,977
-42.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$9.60 ¥1,516
-19.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$237
$32.24 ¥5,090
-60.64%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$3.81 ¥602
-27.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.50
$2.30 ¥363
-40.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.55
$6.42 ¥1,013
-60.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.58
$4.21 ¥664
-49.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.13
$3.74 ¥590
-48.13%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.16
$3.47 ¥547
-45.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.37
$1.29 ¥204
-10.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.98
$0.95 ¥150
24.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.1
$3.54 ¥559
21.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$8.36 ¥1,320
19.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.52
$2.04 ¥322
-22.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.79
$1.53 ¥241
74.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Gifu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$1.56 ¥246
-64.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
$61.4 ¥9,700
-56.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$3.15 ¥497
57.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$3.26 ¥514
2.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$27.03 ¥4,268
-80.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.92
$1.11 ¥175
29.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.2K
$20.0K ¥3.2M
3.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.4K
$16.5K ¥2.6M
41.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Gifu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,581
$143 ¥22.6K
-40.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$24.52 ¥3,872
-4.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$42.97 ¥6,785
-33.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Gifu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$49.00 ¥7,737
16.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.8
$12.61 ¥1,991
-59.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Gifu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,851
$323 ¥51.1K
-36.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$6,232 ¥983.9K
-36.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Gifu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$49.60 ¥7,831
-12.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$25.33 ¥3,999
63.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,383
$46.99 ¥7,419
57.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,664
$66.0 ¥10.4K
35.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Gifu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.3K
$564 ¥89.0K
73.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,099
$298 ¥47.1K
27.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$1,075 ¥169.8K
58.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$737 ¥116.3K
45.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
$4,525 ¥714.4K
-12.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.8K
$2,202 ¥347.6K
179.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Gifu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
2.28
402.19%

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 Gifu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Gifu
$298 21.7% $82
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Gifu
$385 51.2% $130
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Gifu
$126 37.5% $76
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Gifu
$211 54% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Gifu
$85 24.3% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Gifu
$74 10.3% $6.9
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Gifu
$87 72.6% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $564 in Gifu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $31 in Gifu. Groceries flip the comparison at $255 vs $385, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇯🇵 Gifu
🕒 Local time
09:10 9:10 AM
23:10 11:10 PM
14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
404,352
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Gifu 12,260 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Gifu

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 Gifu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Gifu?
Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $1,900 in Gifu 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.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Gifu?
Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $564 in Gifu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 57% less than in Gifu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $323 in Gifu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 enough for either Playa del Carmen or Gifu?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Playa del Carmen 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 Gifu?
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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