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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,269 in Himeji, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,019 in Himeji, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,769 in Himeji, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 1% cheaper 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 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.52 ¥1,385

40.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$33.99 ¥5,522

22.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.11 ¥993

75.94%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.99 ¥486

17.06%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.16 ¥188

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.75 ¥121

17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$3.51 ¥571

-15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.08 ¥500

46.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.53 ¥249

-6.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.78 ¥290

3.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$5.12 ¥831

-69.34%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.53 ¥411

-0.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$17.12 ¥2,781

-51.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.79 ¥1,265

8.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$15.62 ¥2,537

-31.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$8.94 ¥1,453

-70.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.77 ¥451

-48.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.54 ¥575

-44.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$9.56 ¥1,553

-78.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$3.86 ¥627

-52.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.03 ¥329

6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.02 ¥165

0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.44 ¥234

-25.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.57 ¥580

14.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.21 ¥1,496

10.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$2.07 ¥336

-18.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.31 ¥375

9.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.67 ¥272

-69.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$55.1 ¥8,947

-52.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.43 ¥557

-5.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$3.00 ¥488

-19.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$17.12 ¥2,782

-81.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.76 ¥124

73.68%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$22.9K ¥3.7M

29.44%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$17.0K ¥2.8M

39.36%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$137 ¥22.3K

-40.13%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$27.16 ¥4,413

-15.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$26.61 ¥4,324

13.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$55.6 ¥9,034

-6.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.92 ¥2,262

33.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$8.20 ¥1,332

-39.27%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$467 ¥75.9K

-57.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$11.3K ¥1.8M

-52.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$38.76 ¥6,298

-8.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$10.52 ¥1,709

283.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$41.88 ¥6,805

88.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$55.1 ¥8,955

61.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$461 ¥74.9K

105.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$327 ¥53.2K

44.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$850 ¥138.2K

93.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$649 ¥105.5K

86.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$3,992 ¥648.6K

1.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,806 ¥293.5K

258.18%

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 Himeji: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $461 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Himeji. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $395 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 – Himeji 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,904 in Himeji. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 59% more in Himeji, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $34.00 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 Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Himeji at $1,269. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Himeji it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Himeji makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.