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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,178 in Ibaraki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,848 in Ibaraki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,518 in Ibaraki.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 7% more expensive than in Ibaraki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Ibaraki 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.63 ¥1,034

74.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$31.89 ¥4,975

47.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.30 ¥827

124.15%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.13 ¥488

27.16%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.16 ¥181

23.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.76 ¥119

7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.53 ¥395

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.22 ¥502

110.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.80 ¥437

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.55 ¥242

41.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$4.34 ¥678

-60.60%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.10 ¥328

30.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.19 ¥1,746

-14.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.62 ¥1,033

36.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$17.37 ¥2,711

-26.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$4.90 ¥765

-41.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.35 ¥366

-36.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$3.17 ¥495

-32.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$4.33 ¥675

-47.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.53 ¥394

-21.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.42 ¥378

-17.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.28 ¥200

-3.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.81 ¥127

48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.78 ¥590

20.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.54 ¥1,177

37.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.84 ¥287

-11.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.21 ¥345

30.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.66 ¥258

-63.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$58.7 ¥9,159

-50.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$4.80 ¥749

12.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.85 ¥444

30.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$19.73 ¥3,079

-70.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.17 ¥182

31.62%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$22.3K ¥3.5M

0.99%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

69.38%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$134 ¥20.8K

-31.55%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$24.24 ¥3,783

3.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$31.64 ¥4,936

-1.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$52.1 ¥8,121

29.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$11.94 ¥1,863

-59.30%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$552 ¥86.1K

-59.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

-69.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$26.82 ¥4,185

75.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$33.01 ¥5,150

34.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$67.7 ¥10.6K

18.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$80.4 ¥12.6K

15.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$405 ¥63.3K

162.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$265 ¥41.4K

47.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,034 ¥161.3K

107.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$541 ¥84.4K

135.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$4,081 ¥636.8K

-1.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$2,033 ¥317.3K

219.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$2,572 ¥401.2K

-70.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.09

447.85%

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 Ibaraki: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $405 in Ibaraki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 239% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Ibaraki. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,178 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 239% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $405 in Ibaraki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 15% 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 $32.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,178 in Ibaraki versus $1,266 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.