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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,670 in Kawasaki, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,426 in Kawasaki, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,182 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 22% cheaper than Kawasaki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 3% below the global median, while Kawasaki is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$8.16 ¥1,305

43.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$48.19 ¥7,708

-13.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.49 ¥878

93.81%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.06 ¥490

15.03%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.25 ¥199

20.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.82 ¥131

18.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$3.52 ¥563

-16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.17 ¥508

40.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.55 ¥248

-10.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.59 ¥254

18.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$5.06 ¥810

-67.59%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.36 ¥377

6.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$16.29 ¥2,606

-48.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.42 ¥1,186

12.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$22.37 ¥3,578

-52.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$5.82 ¥931

-55.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$2.66 ¥425

-45.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$5.97 ¥955

-68.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$5.89 ¥942

-64.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$3.40 ¥543

-47.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.80 ¥448

-21.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.43 ¥230

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.18 ¥188

-8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.22 ¥675

-3.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$9.51 ¥1,522

8.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.77 ¥443

-38.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.92 ¥467

-11.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.44 ¥231

-64.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$56.3 ¥9,004

-52.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.48 ¥557

-6.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$3.01 ¥482

-17.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$20.98 ¥3,356

-84.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.19 ¥190

10.08%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$23.2K ¥3.7M

30.67%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$16.9K ¥2.7M

38.67%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$141 ¥22.6K

-41.24%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$26.64 ¥4,262

-16.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$33.97 ¥5,434

-13.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$61.2 ¥9,792

-15.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$11.11 ¥1,778

64.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$12.93 ¥2,069

-60.79%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$464 ¥74.2K

-56.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$11.3K ¥1.8M

-53.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$62.1 ¥9,930

-40.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$31.50 ¥5,039

26.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$65.3 ¥10.4K

20.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$91.5 ¥14.6K

-4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$829 ¥132.5K

17.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$635 ¥101.7K

-26.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,373 ¥219.6K

19.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$846 ¥135.4K

44.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$4,643 ¥742.8K

-15.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$3,141 ¥502.4K

106.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$2,522 ¥403.5K

-73.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

1.72

563.95%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kawasaki: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $829 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 280% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $48.00 in Kawasaki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $387 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 29% 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,505 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $48.00 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $1,670 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 $1,297, than in Kawasaki at $1,670. 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 $1,297 versus $1,670 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.