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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,543 in Kawasaki, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,341 in Kawasaki, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,140 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 18% cheaper than Kawasaki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 7% below the global median, while Kawasaki is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.73 ¥1,206

50.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$39.43 ¥6,152

19.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.33 ¥832

122.89%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.75 ¥429

44.73%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.68 ¥262

-14.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.90 ¥141

-8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$3.22 ¥502

-0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.18 ¥495

113.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.58 ¥246

6.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.61 ¥250

36.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$4.53 ¥707

-62.25%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.19 ¥341

25.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.02 ¥1,719

-13.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$7.33 ¥1,143

22.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$17.89 ¥2,792

-28.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$6.27 ¥979

-53.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.94 ¥459

-48.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$5.04 ¥787

-57.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$5.82 ¥908

-61.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$3.42 ¥533

-42.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$3.40 ¥530

-41.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.21 ¥189

1.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.85 ¥133

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.07 ¥634

11.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.80 ¥1,530

5.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$2.34 ¥365

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$3.09 ¥482

-6.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.93 ¥301

-68.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$50.9 ¥7,948

-43.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$3.34 ¥521

61.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$3.21 ¥501

16.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$19.38 ¥3,023

-70.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.14 ¥178

35.09%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$22.0K ¥3.4M

2.51%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$15.6K ¥2.4M

67.15%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$132 ¥20.6K

-30.84%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$23.53 ¥3,671

7.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$32.16 ¥5,018

-2.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$55.8 ¥8,712

20.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$6.33 ¥988

359.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$12.14 ¥1,894

-59.97%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$579 ¥90.3K

-61.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

-72.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$52.4 ¥8,169

-10.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$33.21 ¥5,181

33.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$64.4 ¥10.1K

24.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$72.1 ¥11.2K

28.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$782 ¥122.1K

35.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$579 ¥90.3K

-32.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,296 ¥202.2K

65.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$1,042 ¥162.6K

22.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$4,769 ¥744.1K

-16.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$3,325 ¥518.9K

95.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$2,592 ¥404.4K

-70.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.66

589.76%

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 Kawasaki: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $782 in Kawasaki. 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 242% higher in Kawasaki, 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Kawasaki. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $350 in Kawasaki – 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 Kawasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kawasaki costs about 22% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,315 in Kawasaki. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $39.00 in Kawasaki. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,543 in Kawasaki. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Kawasaki at $1,543. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kawasaki it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,266 versus $1,543 in Kawasaki. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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