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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,187 in Matsudo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,947 in Matsudo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,707 in Matsudo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 7% more expensive than in Matsudo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Matsudo 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$6.40 ¥1,000

81.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$38.62 ¥6,031

21.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$5.14 ¥803

131.13%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.62 ¥566

9.94%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.09 ¥170

31.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.81 ¥127

1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.65 ¥413

20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.27 ¥511

107.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.48 ¥231

13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.69 ¥265

30.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$3.67 ¥573

-53.41%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.12 ¥331

29.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$11.01 ¥1,720

-12.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.39 ¥998

41.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$15.00 ¥2,343

-14.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$5.15 ¥804

-43.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.43 ¥380

-38.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.88 ¥449

-25.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$4.26 ¥665

-46.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.62 ¥410

-24.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.66 ¥415

-25.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.26 ¥197

-2.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.82 ¥128

46.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.84 ¥599

18.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$6.40 ¥1,000

62.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.81 ¥282

-10.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.09 ¥327

37.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.56 ¥244

-61.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$58.8 ¥9,186

-51.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.30 ¥515

63.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.66 ¥415

40.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$19.38 ¥3,026

-70.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.09 ¥170

41.28%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$21.7K ¥3.4M

3.76%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$15.5K ¥2.4M

68.32%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$134 ¥20.9K

-31.67%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$22.46 ¥3,508

12.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$31.04 ¥4,847

0.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$47.29 ¥7,386

42.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$13.18 ¥2,058

-63.13%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$639 ¥99.8K

-65.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

-72.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$54.5 ¥8,513

-13.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$32.57 ¥5,087

35.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$63.2 ¥9,863

26.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$72.1 ¥11.3K

28.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$456 ¥71.2K

133.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$318 ¥49.7K

22.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$906 ¥141.5K

137.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$751 ¥117.3K

69.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$4,048 ¥632.1K

-1.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,866 ¥291.4K

248.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.94

490.21%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Matsudo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $456 in Matsudo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Matsudo. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $292, 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,781 in Matsudo 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $456 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 104% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $639 in Matsudo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,187 in Matsudo versus $1,266 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 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.