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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,233 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,926 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,620 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 3% more than Kitakyushu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kitakyushu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Kitakyushu 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$7.22 ¥1,128

60.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$33.59 ¥5,246

40.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$5.55 ¥867

114.05%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.37 ¥526

18.10%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.04 ¥162

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.70 ¥109

17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.97 ¥463

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.26 ¥352

200.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.53 ¥239

9.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.31 ¥204

67.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$5.55 ¥867

-69.19%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.26 ¥354

21.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$9.98 ¥1,559

-4.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.49 ¥857

64.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$19.18 ¥2,996

-33.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$3.71 ¥579

-22.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.85 ¥289

-18.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.88 ¥450

-25.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.97 ¥464

-23.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.26 ¥354

-12.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.60 ¥406

-23.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.09 ¥171

12.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.94 ¥147

27.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$4.04 ¥631

12.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$6.40 ¥1,000

62.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.78 ¥278

-8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.76 ¥276

63.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.64 ¥257

-63.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$58.2 ¥9,094

-50.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.93 ¥614

37.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.06 ¥322

81.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$18.42 ¥2,876

-68.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.06 ¥165

45.28%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$21.3K ¥3.3M

5.91%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$17.6K ¥2.8M

47.71%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$195 ¥30.5K

-53.18%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$25.26 ¥3,944

-0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$33.60 ¥5,248

-7.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$52.3 ¥8,171

28.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$3.15 ¥493

824.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$11.52 ¥1,798

-57.81%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$389 ¥60.8K

-42.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$12.4K ¥1.9M

-65.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$39.38 ¥6,151

19.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$24.50 ¥3,826

80.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$60.7 ¥9,473

32.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$48.25 ¥7,535

92.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$520 ¥81.2K

104.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$331 ¥51.7K

17.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,049 ¥163.9K

104.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$739 ¥115.4K

72.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$3,702 ¥578.1K

8.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,776 ¥277.3K

266.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,527 ¥238.4K

-50.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.69

577.51%

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 Kitakyushu: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $520 in Kitakyushu. 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 101% higher in Kitakyushu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Kitakyushu. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $284 in Kitakyushu – 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 Kitakyushu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $1,233 in Kitakyushu – roughly 3% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,850 in Kitakyushu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kitakyushu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $34.00 in Kitakyushu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kitakyushu, where all-in costs run around $1,233, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Kitakyushu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,233 in Kitakyushu to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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