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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,181 in Kamakura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,910 in Kamakura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,640 in Kamakura.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$6.39 ¥999

81.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$31.84 ¥4,973

47.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$5.14 ¥802

131.13%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.44 ¥382

63.11%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.12 ¥174

27.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.80 ¥125

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.55 ¥398

25.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.20 ¥500

112.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.42 ¥222

18.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.55 ¥241

41.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$3.70 ¥577

-53.78%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.13 ¥333

28.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$12.18 ¥1,902

-21.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.11 ¥954

47.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$14.89 ¥2,326

-13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$5.73 ¥895

-49.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.81 ¥439

-46.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$3.00 ¥468

-28.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$4.40 ¥688

-48.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.71 ¥423

-26.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.60 ¥406

-23.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.21 ¥189

1.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.79 ¥123

51.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.99 ¥623

14.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$6.65 ¥1,038

55.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.86 ¥290

-12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.09 ¥326

37.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.54 ¥240

-61.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$63.9 ¥9,982

-54.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.18 ¥496

69.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.54 ¥397

46.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$16.36 ¥2,556

-64.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.08 ¥168

42.59%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$22.0K ¥3.4M

2.30%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$15.6K ¥2.4M

66.60%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$117 ¥18.2K

-21.78%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$23.87 ¥3,727

5.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$31.42 ¥4,907

-0.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$52.6 ¥8,207

27.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$12.86 ¥2,009

-62.21%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$587 ¥91.7K

-61.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

-71.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$50.6 ¥7,908

-6.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$33.76 ¥5,272

31.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$62.7 ¥9,789

27.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$101 ¥15.8K

-8.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$527 ¥82.4K

101.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$326 ¥51.0K

19.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$883 ¥137.8K

143.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$683 ¥106.6K

86.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$3,327 ¥519.6K

20.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,549 ¥241.9K

319.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,826 ¥285.2K

-58.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.66

589.76%

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 Kamakura: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $527 in Kamakura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kamakura pays 141% 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 Kamakura. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $299, 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

Kamakura is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 141% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $527 in Kamakura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $587 in Kamakura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,181 in Kamakura versus $1,266 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.

Expats usually find Kamakura 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.