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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,332 in Kashiwa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,855 in Kashiwa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,378 in Kashiwa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 6% cheaper than Kashiwa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Kashiwa is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$7.00 ¥1,138

71.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$27.50 ¥4,469

51.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.68 ¥923

89.26%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.08 ¥500

13.64%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.82 ¥133

76.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.74 ¥121

18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.03 ¥330

45.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.69 ¥437

67.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.27 ¥206

12.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.08 ¥176

70.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$4.98 ¥809

-68.47%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.03 ¥330

23.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$6.91 ¥1,123

19.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.22 ¥1,011

35.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.45 ¥1,698

2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$4.91 ¥798

-46.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.72 ¥442

-47.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$4.11 ¥668

-52.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$6.12 ¥995

-65.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$2.74 ¥444

-32.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.31 ¥376

-6.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.67 ¥110

53.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.53 ¥85.6

101.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.04 ¥656

1.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.02 ¥1,466

12.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.76 ¥286

-4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.07 ¥336

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.57 ¥255

-67.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$56.4 ¥9,157

-53.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.51 ¥570

-7.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.27 ¥369

6.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$22.36 ¥3,632

-85.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.19 ¥194

10.92%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

25.93%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$18.3K ¥3.0M

28.99%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$144 ¥23.4K

-43.04%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$27.82 ¥4,521

-17.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$34.22 ¥5,560

-12.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$54.9 ¥8,915

-5.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$14.08 ¥2,288

31.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$13.53 ¥2,198

-63.19%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$281 ¥45.7K

-29.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$14.1K ¥2.3M

-62.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$40.93 ¥6,651

-13.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.62 ¥4,813

36.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$58.9 ¥9,569

33.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$112 ¥18.2K

-20.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$637 ¥103.5K

48.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$446 ¥72.4K

6.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$841 ¥136.6K

95.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$524 ¥85.1K

131.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$4,375 ¥710.8K

-7.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,349 ¥381.6K

175.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$2,402 ¥390.3K

-72.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

2.05

457.07%

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 Kashiwa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $637 in Kashiwa. 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 267% higher in Kashiwa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.00 in Kashiwa. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $276 in Kashiwa – 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 Kashiwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $1,332 in Kashiwa – roughly 6% apart. Kashiwa 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 $1,998 in Kashiwa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $281 in Kashiwa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Kashiwa, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Kashiwa at $1,332. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kashiwa 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen to $1,332 in Kashiwa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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