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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,163 in Matsudo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,837 in Matsudo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,511 in Matsudo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 11% more expensive than Matsudo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Matsudo 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.96 ¥1,113

68.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$34.74 ¥5,556

19.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.35 ¥856

98.88%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$3.19 ¥511

10.34%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.13 ¥181

33.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.76 ¥121

27.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.03 ¥325

45.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.10 ¥336

111.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.50 ¥239

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.66 ¥265

13.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$4.85 ¥776

-66.19%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.55 ¥248

61.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$9.92 ¥1,586

-15.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.21 ¥993

34.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$15.23 ¥2,436

-29.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$5.99 ¥958

-56.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$3.09 ¥493

-52.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$4.14 ¥662

-54.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$4.62 ¥738

-54.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$3.32 ¥531

-46.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$3.56 ¥569

-38.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.33 ¥213

-21.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.87 ¥139

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.08 ¥653

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$9.64 ¥1,541

7.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.84 ¥295

-7.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.11 ¥338

22.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$1.60 ¥256

-68.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$54.5 ¥8,722

-51.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$3.41 ¥545

-4.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$2.89 ¥463

-13.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$22.09 ¥3,533

-85.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.15 ¥183

13.91%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

31.19%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$18.2K ¥2.9M

28.88%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$84.5 ¥13.5K

-1.92%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$27.96 ¥4,472

-20.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$17.25 ¥2,759

70.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$56.7 ¥9,068

-8.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$13.60 ¥2,176

34.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$11.40 ¥1,823

-55.53%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$283 ¥45.3K

-29.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

-62.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$40.94 ¥6,548

-9.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$29.67 ¥4,746

34.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$60.3 ¥9,639

30.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$95.8 ¥15.3K

-9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$476 ¥76.2K

104.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$332 ¥53.1K

40.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$878 ¥140.5K

86.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$663 ¥106.1K

84.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$4,662 ¥745.6K

-15.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$2,596 ¥415.2K

150.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,996 ¥319.3K

-66.74%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Matsudo: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $476 in Matsudo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Matsudo pays 201% 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 $317, 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 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Matsudo earns 201% 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 $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 106% 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 $283 in Matsudo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,163 in Matsudo versus $1,297 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 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.