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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,186 in Ibaraki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,862 in Ibaraki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,537 in Ibaraki.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 7% more expensive than Ibaraki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ibaraki 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$7.09 ¥1,134

67.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$34.80 ¥5,566

23.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.25 ¥839

102.86%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.17 ¥507

8.83%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.05 ¥168

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.77 ¥123

23.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.59 ¥414

16.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.20 ¥512

44.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.34 ¥374

-41.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.61 ¥257

14.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$3.41 ¥546

-52.79%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.30 ¥368

12.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.20 ¥1,632

-19.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.41 ¥1,026

30.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$15.29 ¥2,446

-30.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$5.29 ¥846

-50.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.52 ¥403

-40.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$4.11 ¥657

-53.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$6.01 ¥961

-65.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$3.02 ¥483

-38.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.70 ¥431

-16.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.34 ¥215

-20.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.78 ¥125

39.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.19 ¥670

-0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.31 ¥1,330

25.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.62 ¥418

-34.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.18 ¥349

19.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.84 ¥294

-70.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$56.1 ¥8,973

-51.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$5.23 ¥836

-40.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.93 ¥468

-14.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$20.68 ¥3,308

-84.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.25 ¥199

1.60%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$23.4K ¥3.7M

29.77%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$17.1K ¥2.7M

38.01%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$145 ¥23.3K

-42.92%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$26.69 ¥4,268

-14.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$34.05 ¥5,446

-13.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$56.7 ¥9,069

-10.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$13.89 ¥2,221

31.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$12.36 ¥1,976

-60.11%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$279 ¥44.7K

-29.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-60.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$29.50 ¥4,718

25.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$29.65 ¥4,742

34.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$71.8 ¥11.5K

11.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$86.4 ¥13.8K

3.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$430 ¥68.8K

122.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$285 ¥45.6K

67.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$860 ¥137.6K

91.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$571 ¥91.4K

114.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$4,080 ¥652.6K

-3.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,478 ¥396.4K

160.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$2,548 ¥407.5K

-73.82%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ibaraki: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $430 in Ibaraki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 282% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Ibaraki. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $322, 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 Ibaraki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Ibaraki differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,186 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ibaraki earns 282% less. 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $430 in Ibaraki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibaraki – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,186 in Ibaraki versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ibaraki but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ibaraki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ibaraki 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 Ibaraki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.