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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,269 in Kumamoto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,963 in Kumamoto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,658 in Kumamoto.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 2% more expensive than Kumamoto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Kumamoto 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$8.44 ¥1,350

38.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$34.17 ¥5,466

21.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.21 ¥993

71.34%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$3.08 ¥493

14.29%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.66 ¥105

128.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.82 ¥132

18.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.69 ¥271

74.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.14 ¥342

107.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.37 ¥219

0.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.58 ¥253

19.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$4.11 ¥657

-60.10%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.06 ¥329

21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$10.03 ¥1,604

-16.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.03 ¥964

38.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$21.17 ¥3,386

-49.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$3.10 ¥496

-16.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.42 ¥228

2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.41 ¥226

34.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$5.85 ¥936

-64.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$2.72 ¥435

-34.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$3.22 ¥515

-31.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.97 ¥155

7.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.76 ¥121

42.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.93 ¥629

3.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$5.61 ¥897

83.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.90 ¥304

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.11 ¥337

22.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$1.67 ¥267

-69.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$56.3 ¥9,001

-52.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$4.72 ¥755

-30.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$3.00 ¥480

-17.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$19.29 ¥3,085

-83.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.19 ¥190

10.08%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$23.0K ¥3.7M

31.65%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$20.1K ¥3.2M

16.29%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$213 ¥34.1K

-61.16%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$26.96 ¥4,312

-17.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$35.73 ¥5,715

-17.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$56.0 ¥8,949

-7.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$14.04 ¥2,246

30.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$13.65 ¥2,184

-62.86%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$408 ¥65.2K

-50.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-60.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$43.84 ¥7,013

-15.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$29.57 ¥4,730

34.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$64.9 ¥10.4K

20.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$60.1 ¥9,613

44.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$466 ¥74.5K

108.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$325 ¥52.0K

43.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$867 ¥138.7K

89.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$664 ¥106.2K

83.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$4,290 ¥686.2K

-8.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$2,396 ¥383.2K

171.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kumamoto: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $466 in Kumamoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Kumamoto. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $289, 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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,269 including rent). Kumamoto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,903 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $466 in Kumamoto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kumamoto runs roughly 113% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $408 in Kumamoto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,269 in Kumamoto versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kumamoto but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto 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.