Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Himeji

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,283 in Himeji, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. The total is higher in Himeji despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Himeji
Learn more

Himeji Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Himeji

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,283

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,283 in Himeji, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Himeji $1,283

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,047 in Himeji, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Himeji $2,047

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,811 in Himeji, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Himeji $2,811

Playa del Carmen is about 6% cheaper than Himeji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Himeji are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Himeji 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$8.46 ¥1,336

28.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$31.07 ¥4,909

42.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$5.11 ¥807

130.14%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.35 ¥371

56.60%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.24 ¥196

8.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.82 ¥129

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$3.20 ¥505

-4.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$3.06 ¥483

61.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.56 ¥247

-5.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.48 ¥233

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$4.12 ¥650

-64.08%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.18 ¥344

14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$15.50 ¥2,449

-51.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$6.78 ¥1,072

17.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$16.88 ¥2,667

-25.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$8.37 ¥1,323

-66.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$2.97 ¥470

-51.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$5.06 ¥799

-48.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$7.86 ¥1,241

-72.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$3.90 ¥617

-48.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$4.70 ¥743

-57.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.12 ¥177

1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.89 ¥141

34.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$3.87 ¥611

10.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$9.74 ¥1,539

2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$2.61 ¥412

-41.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.10 ¥332

26.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.44 ¥228

-63.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$53.0 ¥8,373

-48.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$3.13 ¥494

56.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$2.82 ¥446

21.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$15.45 ¥2,441

-65.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.07 ¥168

35.51%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$21.5K ¥3.4M

-1.62%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

52.44%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$118 ¥18.6K

-27.43%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$23.44 ¥3,704

0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$31.67 ¥5,003

-10.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$52.6 ¥8,314

18.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$11.36 ¥1,795

-55.11%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$564 ¥89.1K

-64.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$14.7K ¥2.3M

-73.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$49.92 ¥7,886

-11.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$35.51 ¥5,611

16.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$61.6 ¥9,739

18.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$99.2 ¥15.7K

-9.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$541 ¥85.4K

81.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$328 ¥51.8K

13.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$1,100 ¥173.8K

52.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$729 ¥115.2K

50.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$4,304 ¥680.0K

-8.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,725 ¥272.5K

255.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.02

466.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Himeji: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Himeji

$328 25.6% 12% $45

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Himeji

$379 29.5% 46.6% $120

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Himeji

$142 11% 29.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Himeji

$173 13.5% 25.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Himeji

$111 8.6% 0.7% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Himeji

$75 5.9% 4.1% $2.9

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Himeji

$76 5.9% 47.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $541 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $31.00 in Himeji. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Playa del Carmen vs $379 in Himeji – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇯🇵 Himeji

🕒 Local time

21:31 9:31 PM

11:31 11:31 AM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

535,571

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Playa del Carmen Himeji 12,440 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Himeji

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 Himeji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Himeji is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,925 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 47% 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 $44.00 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 Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Himeji at $1,283. 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.