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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,224 in Ibaraki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,878 in Ibaraki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,531 in Ibaraki.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 3% more expensive than in Ibaraki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ibaraki 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$7.04 ¥1,109

66.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$33.98 ¥5,354

23.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.50 ¥867

91.09%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.08 ¥485

16.56%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.11 ¥174

36.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.80 ¥126

15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.67 ¥421

10.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.14 ¥495

40.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.23 ¥351

-37.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.52 ¥240

23.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$3.45 ¥543

-54.78%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.23 ¥351

17.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.20 ¥1,607

-18.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.18 ¥974

35.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$15.19 ¥2,393

-28.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$5.34 ¥841

-49.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.64 ¥416

-42.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$4.01 ¥631

-53.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$5.79 ¥913

-62.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$3.04 ¥479

-38.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.54 ¥401

-12.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.38 ¥218

-22.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.77 ¥122

41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.28 ¥674

-2.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$7.95 ¥1,253

31.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.58 ¥406

-35.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.28 ¥359

14.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.87 ¥295

-71.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$55.4 ¥8,724

-52.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.97 ¥782

-38.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$3.00 ¥473

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$20.51 ¥3,232

-84.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.20 ¥189

9.17%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

30.58%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$17.6K ¥2.8M

32.52%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$143 ¥22.6K

-43.35%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$27.17 ¥4,282

-16.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$34.01 ¥5,358

-11.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$56.2 ¥8,848

-5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$13.78 ¥2,171

33.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$12.46 ¥1,963

-60.51%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$280 ¥44.1K

-28.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$13.4K ¥2.1M

-61.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$29.33 ¥4,621

22.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$28.90 ¥4,553

38.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$72.2 ¥11.4K

10.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$87.1 ¥13.7K

-0.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$439 ¥69.2K

122.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$285 ¥44.9K

64.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$874 ¥137.8K

88.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$593 ¥93.4K

102.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$4,597 ¥724.3K

-13.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$2,172 ¥342.3K

204.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$2,446 ¥385.5K

-72.34%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Ibaraki: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $439 in Ibaraki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 262% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Ibaraki. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $317, 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 3% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $1,224 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 262% lower in Ibaraki. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $439 in Ibaraki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 26% 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 $34.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,224 in Ibaraki versus $1,260 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 3% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.