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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,282 in Himeji, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,062 in Himeji, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,843 in Himeji, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 1% more than Himeji, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Himeji are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Himeji 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$8.35 ¥1,304

40.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$31.42 ¥4,909

48.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$4.86 ¥760

139.71%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$2.34 ¥365

74.79%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.23 ¥193

11.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.81 ¥127

2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$3.09 ¥482

8.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.12 ¥487

121.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.50 ¥235

15.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$1.47 ¥230

53.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$4.10 ¥641

-56.83%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$2.18 ¥341

25.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$15.34 ¥2,396

-40.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$6.85 ¥1,070

30.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$17.35 ¥2,710

-27.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$8.19 ¥1,280

-63.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$2.93 ¥458

-46.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$5.11 ¥798

-58.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$7.60 ¥1,187

-70.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$3.92 ¥613

-48.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$4.52 ¥706

-54.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.12 ¥175

5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.94 ¥146

27.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$3.77 ¥588

22.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$9.24 ¥1,444

15.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$2.52 ¥393

-35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.06 ¥322

39.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$1.28 ¥200

-55.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$57.2 ¥8,935

-47.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$3.05 ¥477

78.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$2.83 ¥442

30.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$15.52 ¥2,424

-61.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.05 ¥164

47.62%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$21.3K ¥3.3M

4.81%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$14.9K ¥2.3M

74.55%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$114 ¥17.8K

-21.70%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$23.01 ¥3,595

8.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$30.79 ¥4,811

2.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$46.63 ¥7,284

45.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$11.36 ¥1,775

-55.55%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$567 ¥88.5K

-60.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$14.3K ¥2.2M

-70.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$49.92 ¥7,798

-4.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$35.88 ¥5,605

25.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$60.0 ¥9,371

36.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$95.2 ¥14.9K

-3.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$504 ¥78.7K

112.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$363 ¥56.7K

11.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,156 ¥180.5K

67.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$649 ¥101.4K

100.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$4,340 ¥678.0K

-7.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,627 ¥254.1K

307.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.66

589.76%

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 Himeji: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $504 in Himeji. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $31.00 in Himeji. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Playa del Carmen vs $376 in Himeji – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Himeji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 1%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,922 in Himeji. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Himeji, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 36% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $31.00 in Himeji. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Himeji, where all-in costs run around $1,282, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Himeji it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Himeji – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Himeji. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.