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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,260 in Kawagoe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,005 in Kawagoe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,750 in Kawagoe.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 1% more expensive than Kawagoe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.75 ¥1,080

75.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$34.55 ¥5,526

24.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.30 ¥848

100.94%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.98 ¥477

15.77%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.02 ¥163

47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.79 ¥127

20.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.09 ¥334

44.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.06 ¥330

123.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.71 ¥274

-19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.99 ¥318

-7.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$7.92 ¥1,267

-79.67%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.50 ¥240

72.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.91 ¥1,906

-30.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$12.37 ¥1,978

-32.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$16.49 ¥2,638

-35.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$7.56 ¥1,210

-65.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.65 ¥424

-43.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$4.55 ¥727

-57.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.44 ¥709

-52.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$3.60 ¥575

-48.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$3.54 ¥566

-36.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$2.22 ¥355

-52.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.19 ¥190

-8.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.27 ¥683

-2.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.22 ¥1,314

26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.48 ¥396

-30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.48 ¥557

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.62 ¥259

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$54.6 ¥8,729

-50.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.39 ¥542

-7.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.98 ¥477

-15.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$20.63 ¥3,300

-84.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.16 ¥185

9.48%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$24.1K ¥3.9M

25.85%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$17.3K ¥2.8M

36.33%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$83.9 ¥13.4K

-1.07%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$10.36 ¥1,657

119.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$17.03 ¥2,723

72.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$71.8 ¥11.5K

-28.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$13.80 ¥2,208

32.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$11.59 ¥1,853

-57.46%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$287 ¥46.0K

-31.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$13.7K ¥2.2M

-61.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$43.49 ¥6,955

-15.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$29.78 ¥4,763

33.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$59.5 ¥9,523

34.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$98.0 ¥15.7K

-8.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$459 ¥73.4K

108.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$333 ¥53.2K

43.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$865 ¥138.4K

90.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$658 ¥105.2K

86.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,468 ¥394.7K

58.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,409 ¥385.4K

168.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,547 ¥247.4K

-56.89%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $459 in Kawagoe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 132% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Kawagoe. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $393, 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

Playa del Carmen and Kawagoe differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,260 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kawagoe earns 132% less. 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $459 in Kawagoe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kawagoe – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,260 in Kawagoe – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,260 in Kawagoe versus $1,271 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.

Expats usually find Kawagoe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.