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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,146 in Matsudo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,863 in Matsudo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,580 in Matsudo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than in Matsudo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Matsudo 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$7.13 ¥1,159

68.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$34.59 ¥5,621

20.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.31 ¥863

102.45%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.15 ¥512

11.11%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.13 ¥183

28.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.80 ¥131

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.04 ¥331

44.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.03 ¥331

122.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.55 ¥252

-7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.69 ¥275

8.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$5.05 ¥820

-68.91%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.58 ¥256

58.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.15 ¥1,649

-18.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.41 ¥1,042

31.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$15.24 ¥2,477

-29.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$5.99 ¥973

-56.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$3.17 ¥514

-54.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.97 ¥646

-50.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$4.61 ¥749

-54.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$3.32 ¥540

-44.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$3.57 ¥580

-39.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.34 ¥218

-23.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.83 ¥134

28.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.28 ¥696

-4.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.46 ¥1,537

7.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.76 ¥286

-4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.10 ¥342

20.48%

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

$55.8 ¥9,062

-53.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.52 ¥573

-8.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.99 ¥485

-19.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$21.75 ¥3,534

-85.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.14 ¥185

15.79%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$23.2K ¥3.8M

28.08%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$18.5K ¥3.0M

27.89%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$82.0 ¥13.3K

-0.01%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$27.63 ¥4,490

-16.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$17.47 ¥2,838

72.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$55.1 ¥8,945

-5.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.93 ¥2,264

33.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$11.29 ¥1,834

-55.89%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$277 ¥45.0K

-28.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

-61.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$41.38 ¥6,723

-13.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.57 ¥4,804

36.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$60.6 ¥9,838

30.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$97.7 ¥15.9K

-8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$476 ¥77.4K

98.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$332 ¥53.9K

42.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$857 ¥139.3K

91.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$659 ¥107.1K

83.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$4,109 ¥667.6K

-1.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,141 ¥347.9K

202.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,974 ¥320.7K

-66.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

2.05

457.07%

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 Matsudo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $476 in Matsudo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Matsudo pays 202% 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 $35.00 in Matsudo. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $319, 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 Matsudo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matsudo is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 202% lower in Matsudo. 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 $476 in Matsudo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Matsudo runs roughly 114% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $277 in Matsudo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,146 in Matsudo versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Matsudo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Matsudo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Matsudo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Matsudo 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 Matsudo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.