Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kamakura Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kamakura

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,294 in Kamakura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,992 in Kamakura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,690 in Kamakura.

Monthly costs are close between Playa del Carmen and Kamakura; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.05 ¥1,127

66.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$35.17 ¥5,625

18.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.67 ¥907

87.65%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$3.13 ¥501

12.46%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.21 ¥194

24.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.76 ¥121

27.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.07 ¥331

42.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.19 ¥509

39.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.52 ¥244

-9.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.75 ¥281

8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$5.02 ¥803

-67.33%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.27 ¥364

10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$13.81 ¥2,209

-39.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.87 ¥1,099

21.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$17.62 ¥2,818

-39.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$5.91 ¥946

-56.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$2.89 ¥462

-49.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$4.09 ¥654

-53.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$6.09 ¥974

-65.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$3.27 ¥523

-45.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$2.57 ¥411

-14.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.39 ¥222

-25.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.06 ¥169

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.41 ¥545

19.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$9.27 ¥1,483

11.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.84 ¥294

-7.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.39 ¥383

7.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$1.61 ¥258

-68.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$55.3 ¥8,849

-52.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$3.49 ¥559

-6.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$2.98 ¥477

-16.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$17.59 ¥2,814

-81.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.23 ¥197

6.50%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

28.36%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$16.9K ¥2.7M

38.55%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$143 ¥22.9K

-42.04%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$26.75 ¥4,278

-16.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$33.96 ¥5,432

-13.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$55.4 ¥8,853

-6.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$14.04 ¥2,245

30.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$12.51 ¥2,001

-59.47%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$287 ¥45.8K

-29.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$11.3K ¥1.8M

-53.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$42.28 ¥6,763

-12.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$29.29 ¥4,685

35.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$56.6 ¥9,046

38.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$93.6 ¥15.0K

-6.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$476 ¥76.2K

104.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$326 ¥52.2K

43.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$864 ¥138.2K

89.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$656 ¥104.9K

86.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$4,481 ¥716.7K

-11.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$2,206 ¥352.9K

194.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,760 ¥281.5K

-62.28%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Kamakura: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $476 in Kamakura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kamakura pays 165% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Kamakura. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $350, 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 Kamakura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, Kamakura earns 165% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $476 in Kamakura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $287 in Kamakura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kamakura – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Kamakura versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kamakura but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kamakura the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kamakura is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kamakura are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Kamakura wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.