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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,221 in Kanazawa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,904 in Kanazawa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,587 in Kanazawa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 3% more than Kanazawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kanazawa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kanazawa 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$5.66 ¥920

111.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$34.17 ¥5,551

22.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.91 ¥799

118.94%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.24 ¥526

8.02%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.13 ¥184

28.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.71 ¥116

23.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.82 ¥458

4.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$4.38 ¥712

2.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.53 ¥249

-6.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.48 ¥241

24.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$4.65 ¥755

-66.24%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.44 ¥397

2.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.48 ¥1,703

-20.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.45 ¥1,048

30.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$19.08 ¥3,101

-44.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.65 ¥593

-28.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.21 ¥359

-34.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.47 ¥401

-20.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$4.46 ¥724

-53.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.70 ¥277

8.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.29 ¥210

68.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.34 ¥217

-23.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.82 ¥133

30.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.96 ¥644

3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.50 ¥1,543

7.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$2.13 ¥347

-21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.89 ¥469

-12.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.67 ¥271

-69.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$55.8 ¥9,073

-53.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.58 ¥744

-29.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$3.31 ¥537

-27.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$23.59 ¥3,832

-86.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.18 ¥191

11.86%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

26.63%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$16.7K ¥2.7M

41.79%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$130 ¥21.2K

-37.01%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$27.23 ¥4,424

-15.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$29.98 ¥4,870

0.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$46.98 ¥7,633

10.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.71 ¥2,227

35.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$12.42 ¥2,018

-59.90%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$69.4 ¥11.3K

184.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$10.3K ¥1.7M

-48.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$44.17 ¥7,176

-19.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.41 ¥4,778

37.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$66.9 ¥10.9K

17.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$97.0 ¥15.8K

-8.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$462 ¥75.0K

105.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$336 ¥54.6K

41.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$866 ¥140.7K

89.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$655 ¥106.4K

84.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$4,777 ¥776.1K

-15.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,341 ¥380.4K

176.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,882 ¥305.8K

-65.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

1.81

530.94%

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 Kanazawa: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $462 in Kanazawa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 188% higher in Kanazawa, 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Kanazawa. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $301 in Kanazawa – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kanazawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $1,221 in Kanazawa – roughly 3% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,831 in Kanazawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kanazawa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $1,221 in Kanazawa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 114% less in Kanazawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kanazawa, where all-in costs run around $1,221, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Kanazawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,221 in Kanazawa to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Kanazawa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.