Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kagoshima

For one person, living is cheaper in Kagoshima: $1,135 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Kagoshima
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Kagoshima Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Kagoshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,135

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Kagoshima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,135 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Kagoshima $1,135

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,887 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Kagoshima $1,887

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,639 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Kagoshima $2,639

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% more than Kagoshima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kagoshima are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Kagoshima 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$6.39 ¥1,008

70.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$33.97 ¥5,364

27.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.34 ¥844

120.60%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$2.97 ¥469

28.28%

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

$1.04 ¥165

23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

$0.75 ¥118

4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

$2.50 ¥395

26.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$2.21 ¥349

123.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$1.31 ¥208

7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

$1.15 ¥182

93.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$5.15 ¥813

-72.43%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$2.05 ¥325

22.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$17.94 ¥2,834

-59.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$5.29 ¥836

45.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$18.77 ¥2,965

-32.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$3.71 ¥586

-25.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$1.86 ¥294

-26.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

$2.83 ¥447

-9.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

$3.43 ¥542

-38.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

$2.09 ¥329

-7.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

$1.88 ¥297

0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

$1.03 ¥163

11.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$0.80 ¥126

47.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$3.85 ¥608

11.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$6.20 ¥979

60.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

$1.21 ¥191

30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.84 ¥291

45.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

$1.25 ¥197

-56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

$56.7 ¥8,950

-53.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

$4.12 ¥650

20.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

$2.34 ¥370

42.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$11.30 ¥1,784

-52.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

$1.11 ¥175

29.73%

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

$22.6K ¥3.6M

-8.48%

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

53.83%

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

$188 ¥29.6K

-54.83%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$24.69 ¥3,900

-5.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$31.51 ¥4,976

-9.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

$52.1 ¥8,229

9.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

$11.96 ¥1,889

-57.02%

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

$207 MX$3,871

$703 ¥111.1K

-70.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$12.4K ¥2.0M

-68.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

$48.66 ¥7,685

-10.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$26.33 ¥4,158

57.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

$65.4 ¥10.3K

13.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

$76.3 ¥12.1K

16.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$550 ¥86.8K

78.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$219 ¥34.5K

74.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$957 ¥151.2K

78.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$730 ¥115.3K

47.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

$4,461 ¥704.5K

-11.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

$2,528 ¥399.3K

143.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$1,861 ¥293.9K

-60.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.97

481.22%

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 Kagoshima: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Kagoshima

$219 19.3% 42.6% $162

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Kagoshima

$294 25.9% 15.5% $39

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Kagoshima

$127 11.2% 37.3% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Kagoshima

$244 21.5% 78.2% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Kagoshima

$98 8.6% 12.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Kagoshima

$76 6.7% 12.9% $8.7

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Kagoshima

$77 6.8% 53.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $550 in Kagoshima. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kagoshima are about 2.5 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $34 in Kagoshima. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $294 in Kagoshima – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇯🇵 Kagoshima

🕒 Local time

12:34 12:34 PM

02:34 2:34 AM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

593,128

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Kagoshima 12,960 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Kagoshima

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 Kagoshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% more than Kagoshima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,702 in Kagoshima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kagoshima, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $550 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $703 in Kagoshima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,135 in Kagoshima. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,135 in Kagoshima to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.