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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,263 in Kawagoe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,969 in Kawagoe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,675 in Kawagoe.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 2% more expensive than Kawagoe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Kawagoe 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$7.12 ¥1,139

67.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$34.09 ¥5,457

25.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.36 ¥857

97.57%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.01 ¥482

20.27%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.02 ¥163

44.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.78 ¥125

20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.11 ¥337

46.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.10 ¥337

112.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.74 ¥279

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.91 ¥305

-1.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$8.11 ¥1,299

-79.90%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.56 ¥250

69.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$12.32 ¥1,973

-33.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$12.35 ¥1,977

-32.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$16.43 ¥2,630

-32.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$7.84 ¥1,255

-66.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.64 ¥423

-43.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$4.48 ¥717

-55.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$4.66 ¥747

-55.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$3.68 ¥590

-51.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$3.74 ¥599

-41.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$2.30 ¥368

-53.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.19 ¥190

-12.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.25 ¥680

-6.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$9.23 ¥1,478

10.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.56 ¥410

-32.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.40 ¥545

-26.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.67 ¥268

-68.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$56.6 ¥9,055

-52.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.48 ¥557

-9.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.92 ¥467

-17.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$20.83 ¥3,335

-85.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.15 ¥185

10.43%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$24.7K ¥3.9M

25.17%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$17.5K ¥2.8M

33.33%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$83.5 ¥13.4K

-1.83%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$10.34 ¥1,656

117.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$17.44 ¥2,791

70.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$73.7 ¥11.8K

-29.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$14.09 ¥2,256

32.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$11.31 ¥1,811

-56.06%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$285 ¥45.7K

-30.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$13.4K ¥2.1M

-60.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$43.45 ¥6,955

-16.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$29.62 ¥4,741

35.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$60.8 ¥9,736

31.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$95.9 ¥15.3K

-7.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$471 ¥75.4K

104.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$326 ¥52.1K

42.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$870 ¥139.3K

83.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$655 ¥104.8K

84.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,553 ¥408.7K

54.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,230 ¥196.9K

424.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$1,551 ¥248.2K

-53.54%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $471 in Kawagoe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 115% 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 $34.00 in Kawagoe. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $400, 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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $1,263 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kawagoe earns 115% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $471 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 $34.00 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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,263 in Kawagoe – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,263 in Kawagoe versus $1,287 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 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.