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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,293 in Kamakura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,024 in Kamakura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,754 in Kamakura.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 3% less than in Kamakura, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kamakura 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.83 ¥1,109

75.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$34.72 ¥5,642

20.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.45 ¥885

97.25%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.11 ¥506

12.54%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.19 ¥194

21.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.75 ¥122

17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.04 ¥332

44.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.11 ¥505

45.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.50 ¥244

-4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.69 ¥275

8.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$4.84 ¥787

-67.56%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.23 ¥363

12.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$13.73 ¥2,231

-39.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.77 ¥1,100

24.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$17.60 ¥2,860

-39.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$6.18 ¥1,004

-57.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.82 ¥458

-48.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.91 ¥635

-49.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$6.14 ¥998

-65.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$3.23 ¥525

-42.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.68 ¥435

-19.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.33 ¥216

-22.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.06 ¥172

0.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.50 ¥569

17.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.04 ¥1,470

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.90 ¥308

-11.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.37 ¥385

6.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.59 ¥259

-67.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$54.9 ¥8,918

-52.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.38 ¥549

-4.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.93 ¥476

-17.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$17.59 ¥2,858

-81.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.23 ¥200

7.32%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$23.4K ¥3.8M

26.70%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$16.7K ¥2.7M

42.02%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$145 ¥23.6K

-43.48%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$27.29 ¥4,434

-15.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$33.55 ¥5,451

-10.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$56.1 ¥9,118

-7.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.74 ¥2,233

34.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$12.47 ¥2,026

-60.06%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$286 ¥46.5K

-30.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$11.4K ¥1.9M

-53.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$41.12 ¥6,681

-13.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.44 ¥4,783

36.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$55.7 ¥9,054

41.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$91.2 ¥14.8K

-2.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$462 ¥75.1K

104.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$325 ¥52.8K

45.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$877 ¥142.5K

87.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$669 ¥108.7K

81.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$3,876 ¥629.7K

4.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,385 ¥387.5K

171.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,727 ¥280.6K

-62.14%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kamakura: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $462 in Kamakura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kamakura pays 164% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Kamakura. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $348, 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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 164% lower in Kamakura. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $462 in Kamakura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $286 in Kamakura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Kamakura. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,293 in Kamakura, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kamakura. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kamakura, 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Kamakura. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.