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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,019 in Kurume.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,606 in Kurume.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,194 in Kurume.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 27% more expensive than Kurume, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Kurume 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.79 ¥766

144.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$41.36 ¥6,616

0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.06 ¥649

162.07%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.02 ¥323

74.26%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.80 ¥128

88.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.59 ¥95.0

64.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.45 ¥552

-14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$1.71 ¥273

160.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.42 ¥227

-2.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.37 ¥218

37.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$4.24 ¥679

-61.32%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.14 ¥342

17.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$10.18 ¥1,628

-18.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.10 ¥976

36.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$20.39 ¥3,261

-47.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$3.15 ¥504

-17.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.43 ¥229

2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.42 ¥227

33.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$5.97 ¥955

-65.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$2.85 ¥456

-37.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$3.20 ¥512

-31.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.99 ¥159

5.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.80 ¥128

35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.81 ¥609

7.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$6.19 ¥990

66.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.99 ¥319

-14.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.25 ¥199

106.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$1.60 ¥255

-68.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$54.8 ¥8,763

-51.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$4.62 ¥739

-29.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$2.88 ¥461

-13.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$19.64 ¥3,141

-83.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.66 ¥106

98.48%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$23.0K ¥3.7M

31.40%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$20.3K ¥3.3M

15.17%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$213 ¥34.1K

-61.11%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$26.86 ¥4,295

-17.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$25.14 ¥4,021

16.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$55.7 ¥8,912

-7.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$13.93 ¥2,227

31.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$7.52 ¥1,204

-32.58%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$423 ¥67.6K

-52.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-60.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$43.55 ¥6,966

-15.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$13.64 ¥2,182

191.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$27.11 ¥4,337

189.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$35.11 ¥5,616

148.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$204 ¥32.6K

376.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$138 ¥22.0K

239.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$521 ¥83.3K

215.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$351 ¥56.2K

247.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$4,879 ¥780.4K

-19.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$2,517 ¥402.5K

158.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,526 ¥244.1K

-56.49%

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 Kurume: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $204 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 130% 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 $41.00 in Kurume. 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 Kurume: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kurume differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,019 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kurume earns 130% less. 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $204 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 $41.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,019 in Kurume versus $1,297 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 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.