Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Itoman

For one person, living is cheaper in Itoman: $1,162 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $500 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Itoman, Japan
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Itoman
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,162
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Itoman

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Itoman actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,162 in Itoman, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Itoman $1,162

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,814 in Itoman, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Itoman $1,814

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,466 in Itoman, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Itoman $2,466

Playa del Carmen costs about 4% more than Itoman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Itoman are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Itoman 15% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Itoman
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$3.21 ¥506
240.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$813
$39.93 ¥6,307
8.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$3.92 ¥618
200.51%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.4
$2.56 ¥404
48.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.03
$1.00 ¥158
28.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.67
$0.77 ¥122
1.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.3
$2.61 ¥412
21.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.5
$4.38 ¥691
12.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Itoman
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$1.64 ¥259
-14.02%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.54
$0.80 ¥127
177.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.56
$2.12 ¥334
-33.02%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.27
$1.76 ¥278
43.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$17.69 ¥2,794
-58.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$2.91 ¥459
164.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$6.93 ¥1,094
83.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.2
$3.69 ¥583
-24.66%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.64
$2.74 ¥432
-50.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.80
$2.16 ¥340
18.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.78
$5.02 ¥793
-57.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.32
$2.47 ¥391
-21.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.34
$2.59 ¥409
-27.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.49
$1.31 ¥206
-12.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.09
$0.65 ¥103
81.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.5
$3.92 ¥620
9.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$186
$5.63 ¥889
76.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.67
$1.95 ¥308
-18.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$3.35 ¥530
-20.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Itoman
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.37
$1.67 ¥264
-67.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$499
$64.6 ¥10.2K
-58.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.1
$3.71 ¥585
33.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.4
$3.58 ¥565
-6.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$100
$11.25 ¥1,778
-52.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.06
$1.06 ¥167
35.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$387.3K
$21.1K ¥3.3M
-2.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$439.7K
$15.2K ¥2.4M
54.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Itoman
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,589
$159 ¥25.1K
-46.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$24.71 ¥3,902
-5.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$537
$38.44 ¥6,071
-25.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Itoman
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,069
$46.74 ¥7,381
22.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$542
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.3
$12.28 ¥1,939
-58.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Itoman
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,871
$333 ¥52.5K
-37.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.6K
$5,536 ¥874.3K
-29.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Itoman
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$812
$49.87 ¥7,876
-13.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$777
$23.12 ¥3,651
79.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,390
$50.5 ¥7,977
46.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,672
$97.3 ¥15.4K
-8.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Itoman
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$520 ¥82.1K
88.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,136
$329 ¥52.0K
15.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.0K
$910 ¥143.7K
87.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.1K
$696 ¥109.9K
54.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.9K
$4,553 ¥719.1K
-13.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.4K
$2,575 ¥406.6K
139.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Itoman
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
2.23
413.45%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Itoman: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Itoman
$329 13.5% $52
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Itoman
$250 1.8% $4.5
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Itoman
$97 52.1% $105
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Itoman
$222 62.4% $85
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Itoman
$99 11.1% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Itoman
$71 5.9% $4
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Itoman
$93 84.1% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $520 in Itoman. 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $40 in Itoman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $250 – making Itoman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇯🇵 Itoman
🕒 Local time
08:07 8:07 AM
22:07 10:07 PM
14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
61,007
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Itoman 13,610 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Itoman

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Itoman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Itoman cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,744 in Itoman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Itoman, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $520 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Itoman?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $40 in Itoman. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 59% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 enough for either Playa del Carmen or Itoman?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,162 in Itoman, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Itoman?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,162 in Itoman to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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