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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,169 in Matsuyama, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,854 in Matsuyama, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,540 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 11% more than Matsuyama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Matsuyama are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Matsuyama 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$6.13 ¥958

91.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$26.80 ¥4,187

73.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$5.19 ¥811

124.47%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$2.84 ¥444

44.01%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.04 ¥163

31.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.71 ¥111

16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$2.43 ¥379

37.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.13 ¥489

120.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.47 ¥229

17.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$1.65 ¥257

36.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$4.35 ¥679

-59.31%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$1.86 ¥291

46.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$12.74 ¥1,990

-27.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$5.80 ¥907

53.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$15.74 ¥2,459

-19.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$4.52 ¥706

-33.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$2.21 ¥345

-28.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$3.13 ¥489

-31.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$3.79 ¥592

-40.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$2.30 ¥360

-13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$2.21 ¥345

-6.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.25 ¥196

-5.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.81 ¥127

48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$4.42 ¥691

4.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$7.49 ¥1,169

42.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$1.96 ¥307

-17.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.28 ¥355

26.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$1.50 ¥234

-62.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$55.3 ¥8,646

-46.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$3.55 ¥555

53.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$2.76 ¥431

34.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$15.94 ¥2,490

-62.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.22 ¥190

27.05%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$19.3K ¥3.0M

15.88%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$16.1K ¥2.5M

60.77%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$131 ¥20.5K

-32.10%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$26.21 ¥4,095

-4.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$30.89 ¥4,826

1.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$44.74 ¥6,989

51.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$11.83 ¥1,847

-57.31%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$498 ¥77.8K

-54.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$11.4K ¥1.8M

-62.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$52.4 ¥8,178

-9.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$27.39 ¥4,278

64.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$52.6 ¥8,212

55.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$95.1 ¥14.8K

-3.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$476 ¥74.4K

124.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$313 ¥49.0K

29.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,160 ¥181.2K

66.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$640 ¥100.0K

103.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$3,948 ¥616.8K

1.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,963 ¥306.6K

237.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.06

455.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Matsuyama: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $476 in Matsuyama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 in Matsuyama. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Playa del Carmen vs $293 in Matsuyama – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Matsuyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, $1,169 in Matsuyama – roughly 11% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,753 in Matsuyama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Matsuyama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 86% less in Matsuyama. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $498 in Matsuyama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Matsuyama, where all-in costs run around $1,169, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Matsuyama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,169 in Matsuyama to $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Matsuyama. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.