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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,205 in Kawagoe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,948 in Kawagoe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,691 in Kawagoe.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than in Kawagoe, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Kawagoe 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$6.39 ¥997

81.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$42.87 ¥6,696

9.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$5.22 ¥816

127.59%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.55 ¥555

12.11%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.93 ¥145

53.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.51 ¥79.3

60.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.95 ¥305

63.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.70 ¥421

151.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.19 ¥185

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.27 ¥198

73.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$3.67 ¥573

-53.41%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.04 ¥318

34.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$6.56 ¥1,025

46.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.10 ¥953

47.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$14.85 ¥2,318

-13.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$5.89 ¥919

-50.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.40 ¥375

-37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$3.00 ¥468

-28.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$3.21 ¥501

-29.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.58 ¥403

-23.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.00 ¥312

-0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.32 ¥207

-6.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.81 ¥127

48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.97 ¥620

14.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$4.99 ¥779

107.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.77 ¥277

-8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.10 ¥328

37.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$3.05 ¥476

-80.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$164 ¥25.6K

-82.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.33 ¥519

61.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.53 ¥394

47.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$21.04 ¥3,286

-72.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.15 ¥180

33.91%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$16.4K ¥2.6M

37.44%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$13.1K ¥2.1M

98.35%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$136 ¥21.2K

-32.71%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$22.74 ¥3,551

10.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$32.53 ¥5,081

-3.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$43.30 ¥6,761

55.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$32.20 ¥5,028

-9.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$11.54 ¥1,802

-57.89%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$326 ¥50.9K

-31.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$6,592 ¥1.0M

-35.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$32.59 ¥5,089

44.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$33.09 ¥5,167

33.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$45.11 ¥7,044

77.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$99.1 ¥15.5K

-6.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$416 ¥65.0K

155.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$279 ¥43.5K

40.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$874 ¥136.6K

145.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$613 ¥95.7K

107.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$2,541 ¥396.8K

57.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,286 ¥200.8K

405.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,649 ¥257.5K

-54.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.6

615.62%

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 Kawagoe: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $416 in Kawagoe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 117% 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 $43.00 in Kawagoe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $264 per month, with Kawagoe cheaper across the board.

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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,205 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 117% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $416 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 $43.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,205 in Kawagoe – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,205 in Kawagoe versus $1,266 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 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.