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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,285 in Hiratsuka, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,032 in Hiratsuka, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,778 in Hiratsuka, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 1% cheaper than Hiratsuka, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Hiratsuka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.60 MX$199
$6.32 ¥987
83.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.11 MX$809
$29.11 ¥4,546
61.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.88 MX$204
$5.15 ¥804
130.68%
Cappuccino
$3.98 MX$68.2
$2.51 ¥392
58.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 MX$24.49
$1.20 ¥188
19.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$14.16
$0.67 ¥104
22.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$54.7
$2.50 ¥390
27.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.79 MX$117
$2.71 ¥423
150.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Hiratsuka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 MX$28.76
$1.45 ¥227
15.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$37.71
$1.52 ¥237
44.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 MX$29.32
$4.33 ¥676
-60.51%
Eggs
$2.74 MX$47.05
$2.18 ¥341
25.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.58 MX$164
$16.22 ¥2,533
-40.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.01 MX$155
$7.20 ¥1,125
25.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.81 MX$220
$17.98 ¥2,808
-28.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.89 MX$49.58
$8.86 ¥1,383
-67.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$25.70
$3.05 ¥477
-50.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.15 MX$36.87
$5.09 ¥795
-57.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.26 MX$38.79
$7.84 ¥1,225
-71.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.98 MX$34.00
$3.99 ¥623
-50.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$34.15
$4.85 ¥757
-58.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 MX$21.18
$1.16 ¥181
6.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$20.54
$0.96 ¥149
25.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.55 MX$78.1
$4.04 ¥631
12.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.37 MX$178
$9.79 ¥1,529
5.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 MX$27.79
$2.54 ¥397
-36.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 MX$49.44
$2.17 ¥339
32.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Hiratsuka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 MX$10.30
$1.64 ¥257
-63.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.80 MX$494
$57.1 ¥8,922
-49.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$92.5
$3.16 ¥494
70.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.73 MX$64.0
$2.93 ¥458
27.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.77 MX$99.0
$16.41 ¥2,563
-64.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 MX$26.37
$1.08 ¥169
42.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.5K MX$387.0K
$22.6K ¥3.5M
-0.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K MX$447.3K
$15.7K ¥2.5M
65.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Hiratsuka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.4 MX$1,569
$119 ¥18.5K
-22.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.20 MX$433
$24.20 ¥3,779
4.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.24 MX$536
$31.45 ¥4,911
-0.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Hiratsuka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 MX$1,154
$53.0 ¥8,276
26.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.11 MX$500
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.86 MX$83.5
$11.80 ¥1,843
-58.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Hiratsuka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$224 MX$3,839
$325 ¥50.7K
-31.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,229 MX$72.6K
$15.2K ¥2.4M
-72.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Hiratsuka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.10 MX$808
$51.3 ¥8,017
-8.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.29 MX$760
$36.63 ¥5,721
20.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.1 MX$1,375
$62.7 ¥9,784
27.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.7 MX$1,591
$102 ¥15.9K
-9.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Hiratsuka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,063 MX$18.2K
$457 ¥71.4K
132.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$390 MX$6,698
$380 ¥59.4K
2.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,149 MX$36.9K
$1,088 ¥169.8K
97.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 MX$21.8K
$861 ¥134.4K
47.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,001 MX$68.7K
$3,956 ¥617.8K
1.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,502 MX$111.6K
$1,723 ¥269.0K
277.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Hiratsuka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$758 MX$13.0K
-
-
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: September 12, 2026

Last update for Hiratsuka: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $457 in Hiratsuka. 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 $29.00 in Hiratsuka. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $391 in Hiratsuka – 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 Hiratsuka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Hiratsuka compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $1,285 in Hiratsuka – roughly 2% apart. Hiratsuka costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Hiratsuka?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,927 in Hiratsuka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Hiratsuka?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $29.00 in Hiratsuka. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Hiratsuka?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,285 in Hiratsuka. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Hiratsuka at $1,285. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hiratsuka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Hiratsuka?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,266 in Playa del Carmen to $1,285 in Hiratsuka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Playa del Carmen or Hiratsuka safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Hiratsuka?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hiratsuka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities