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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,268 in Kumamoto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,969 in Kumamoto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,670 in Kumamoto.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 1% less than in Kumamoto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kumamoto 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.57 ¥1,392

39.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$35.04 ¥5,693

19.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.03 ¥979

78.28%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.07 ¥499

14.01%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.70 ¥114

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.83 ¥134

6.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.62 ¥263

82.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.10 ¥341

114.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.35 ¥219

5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.65 ¥269

11.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$4.08 ¥663

-61.52%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.10 ¥341

19.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.16 ¥1,650

-18.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.30 ¥1,023

33.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$20.78 ¥3,376

-48.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.10 ¥503

-15.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.41 ¥228

2.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.42 ¥230

38.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$5.96 ¥968

-64.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$2.83 ¥460

-34.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$3.12 ¥507

-30.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.91 ¥147

13.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.74 ¥120

44.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.94 ¥641

4.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$5.47 ¥889

85.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.98 ¥321

-15.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.05 ¥333

23.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.61 ¥261

-68.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$55.1 ¥8,948

-52.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.72 ¥766

-31.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.89 ¥469

-16.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$19.40 ¥3,153

-83.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.23 ¥200

7.32%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

25.81%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$19.6K ¥3.2M

20.50%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$214 ¥34.8K

-61.70%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$26.96 ¥4,380

-14.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$36.22 ¥5,884

-16.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$56.1 ¥9,112

-7.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$14.04 ¥2,282

31.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$13.83 ¥2,246

-63.99%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$409 ¥66.5K

-51.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-59.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$42.67 ¥6,933

-16.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.61 ¥4,810

36.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$65.3 ¥10.6K

20.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$61.4 ¥9,978

44.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$462 ¥75.1K

104.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$329 ¥53.5K

43.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$868 ¥141.0K

89.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$666 ¥108.2K

81.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$3,816 ¥620.1K

6.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,816 ¥295.1K

256.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

1.67

583.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kumamoto: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $462 in Kumamoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Kumamoto. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $291, 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 Kumamoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kumamoto differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,268 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,902 in Kumamoto to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $462 in Kumamoto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 111% less than in Kumamoto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $409 in Kumamoto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,268 in Kumamoto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kumamoto. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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 Kumamoto 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Kumamoto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.