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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,372 in Hachioji.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,983 in Hachioji.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,594 in Hachioji.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 8% less than in Hachioji, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Hachioji is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$7.10 ¥1,154

68.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$34.31 ¥5,574

21.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.47 ¥889

96.53%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.18 ¥517

10.06%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.06 ¥172

36.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.80 ¥130

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.55 ¥415

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.07 ¥500

46.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.60 ¥261

-10.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.51 ¥246

21.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$4.89 ¥795

-67.89%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.27 ¥369

10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.16 ¥1,650

-18.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.27 ¥1,019

34.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$15.41 ¥2,504

-30.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$5.35 ¥869

-51.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.62 ¥425

-45.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$4.13 ¥671

-52.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$5.85 ¥951

-64.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$3.02 ¥490

-38.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.60 ¥422

-16.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.33 ¥217

-22.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.90 ¥146

18.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.27 ¥693

-3.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.19 ¥1,330

24.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.91 ¥310

-12.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.15 ¥350

17.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.61 ¥262

-68.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$54.8 ¥8,908

-52.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.43 ¥557

-5.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.93 ¥476

-17.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$20.89 ¥3,395

-84.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.18 ¥191

11.86%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

25.81%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$17.2K ¥2.8M

37.57%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$145 ¥23.5K

-43.30%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$26.65 ¥4,330

-13.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$34.09 ¥5,539

-11.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$55.1 ¥8,948

-5.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.74 ¥2,232

34.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$12.52 ¥2,034

-60.22%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$280 ¥45.6K

-29.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$13.6K ¥2.2M

-60.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$43.01 ¥6,988

-17.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.49 ¥4,791

36.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$60.7 ¥9,868

29.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$90.5 ¥14.7K

-1.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$669 ¥108.7K

41.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$437 ¥71.0K

8.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$863 ¥140.2K

90.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$661 ¥107.5K

83.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$4,385 ¥712.5K

-7.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,102 ¥341.5K

207.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$2,738 ¥444.9K

-76.12%

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 Hachioji: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $669 in Hachioji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hachioji pays 319% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Hachioji. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $317, 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 Hachioji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Hachioji. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 319% lower in Hachioji. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $669 in Hachioji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Hachioji. 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 $34.00 in Hachioji. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,372 in Hachioji, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hachioji. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,256 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Hachioji 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 9% less than in Hachioji. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.