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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,186 in Ibaraki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,860 in Ibaraki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,535 in Ibaraki.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 9% more expensive than Ibaraki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Ibaraki 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$6.98 ¥1,120

68.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$34.00 ¥5,453

22.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$5.37 ¥861

93.85%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$3.17 ¥508

13.88%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.11 ¥178

31.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.81 ¥130

19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.58 ¥413

13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$3.06 ¥490

50.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$2.30 ¥369

-37.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.58 ¥253

20.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$3.55 ¥569

-55.77%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.27 ¥363

16.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$10.25 ¥1,644

-17.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$6.35 ¥1,018

35.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$15.44 ¥2,477

-28.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$5.31 ¥852

-49.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$2.53 ¥405

-40.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$3.92 ¥628

-51.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$5.75 ¥923

-62.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$3.14 ¥504

-40.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$2.56 ¥411

-12.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.37 ¥220

-21.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.74 ¥119

44.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$4.26 ¥683

-2.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$8.37 ¥1,343

22.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$2.58 ¥414

-34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.17 ¥348

16.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$1.77 ¥285

-68.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$56.3 ¥9,034

-53.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$5.06 ¥812

-36.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$2.86 ¥460

-13.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$21.05 ¥3,377

-84.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.25 ¥201

5.60%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

30.70%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$17.5K ¥2.8M

33.42%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$141 ¥22.6K

-42.20%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$26.86 ¥4,309

-16.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$34.04 ¥5,461

-11.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$55.6 ¥8,916

-7.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$14.06 ¥2,256

30.80%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$12.45 ¥1,997

-58.55%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$282 ¥45.2K

-28.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-59.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$29.03 ¥4,657

22.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$29.52 ¥4,736

36.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$71.9 ¥11.5K

9.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$86.0 ¥13.8K

0.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$438 ¥70.3K

116.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$288 ¥46.2K

66.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$872 ¥139.9K

85.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$589 ¥94.5K

107.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$4,692 ¥752.6K

-14.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$2,469 ¥396.1K

162.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$2,534 ¥406.4K

-73.44%

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 15, 2026

Last update for Ibaraki: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $438 in Ibaraki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 277% 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 $254 vs $320, 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 9% in total monthly costs ($1,294 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 277% 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $438 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 $1,186 in Ibaraki versus $1,294 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 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.