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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,022 in Kurume.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,597 in Kurume.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,172 in Kurume.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 23% more expensive than in Kurume, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kurume 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$4.85 ¥788

147.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$41.86 ¥6,802

-0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.17 ¥678

157.79%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.10 ¥342

66.67%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.77 ¥125

88.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.55 ¥89.4

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$3.45 ¥560

-14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.76 ¥285

156.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.42 ¥230

0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.43 ¥232

28.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$4.13 ¥670

-61.99%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.10 ¥340

19.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.25 ¥1,665

-19.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.12 ¥994

37.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$21.02 ¥3,416

-49.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.05 ¥496

-14.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.41 ¥229

2.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.36 ¥222

44.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$5.83 ¥947

-64.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$2.76 ¥448

-32.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$3.13 ¥508

-30.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.98 ¥159

5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.76 ¥124

40.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.96 ¥643

3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.04 ¥982

68.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.94 ¥315

-13.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.21 ¥196

109.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.60 ¥260

-68.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$54.7 ¥8,892

-52.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.78 ¥776

-32.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.91 ¥473

-17.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$19.75 ¥3,210

-83.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.70 ¥115

88.57%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$23.3K ¥3.8M

27.32%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$19.7K ¥3.2M

20.00%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$215 ¥34.9K

-61.86%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$27.50 ¥4,468

-16.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$24.68 ¥4,010

22.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$55.0 ¥8,933

-5.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.64 ¥2,217

35.85%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.83 ¥1,272

-36.40%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$416 ¥67.6K

-52.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-59.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$42.71 ¥6,940

-16.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$13.93 ¥2,263

189.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$26.69 ¥4,336

195.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$34.22 ¥5,561

159.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$211 ¥34.3K

348.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$140 ¥22.8K

238.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$527 ¥85.6K

211.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$343 ¥55.7K

252.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$4,477 ¥727.4K

-9.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,230 ¥362.4K

190.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,480 ¥240.5K

-55.82%

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 Kurume: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $211 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 126% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $42.00 in Kurume for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $288 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Kurume: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kurume differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,022 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 126% lower in Kurume. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $211 in Kurume. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurume – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,022 in Kurume versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume 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.

Expats usually find Kurume gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.