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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,255 in Kawagoe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,001 in Kawagoe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,746 in Kawagoe.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kawagoe 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.89 ¥1,085

70.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$34.45 ¥5,428

21.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.23 ¥825

100.96%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.91 ¥458

23.37%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.01 ¥159

49.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.74 ¥117

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.04 ¥321

45.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.05 ¥324

115.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.71 ¥270

-18.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.92 ¥302

-2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$8.12 ¥1,280

-80.79%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.52 ¥239

71.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$11.97 ¥1,886

-30.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$12.36 ¥1,947

-32.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$16.45 ¥2,592

-33.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$7.70 ¥1,213

-64.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.52 ¥397

-40.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$4.54 ¥715

-58.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$4.49 ¥708

-51.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$3.75 ¥591

-50.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$3.69 ¥582

-39.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.33 ¥210

-19.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.19 ¥187

-8.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.36 ¥688

-3.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$7.89 ¥1,243

32.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.62 ¥412

-36.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.51 ¥553

-25.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.62 ¥255

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$55.0 ¥8,665

-52.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.40 ¥535

-9.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$3.02 ¥475

-20.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$20.58 ¥3,243

-84.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.16 ¥183

12.93%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$24.0K ¥3.8M

24.35%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$17.2K ¥2.7M

35.58%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$85.0 ¥13.4K

-4.35%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$10.56 ¥1,665

113.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$17.48 ¥2,754

71.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$72.3 ¥11.4K

-26.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$14.02 ¥2,210

31.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$11.42 ¥1,800

-56.92%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$284 ¥44.8K

-29.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-60.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$43.26 ¥6,817

-16.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$29.87 ¥4,707

34.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$61.1 ¥9,628

30.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$95.1 ¥15.0K

-9.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$468 ¥73.8K

108.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$335 ¥52.8K

40.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$863 ¥135.9K

91.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$646 ¥101.7K

86.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,431 ¥383.1K

62.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$2,036 ¥320.8K

224.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$1,523 ¥239.9K

-55.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

471.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $468 in Kawagoe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 125% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Kawagoe. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $390, 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 Kawagoe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 125% lower in Kawagoe. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $468 in Kawagoe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $284 in Kawagoe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kawagoe – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,255 in Kawagoe versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawagoe but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kawagoe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kawagoe 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 – Kawagoe 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.