Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Morioka

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Morioka: $1,204 and $1,189 a month, rent and utilities included.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Morioka, Japan
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Morioka
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,189
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Morioka

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Morioka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,189 in Morioka, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Morioka $1,189

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,898 in Morioka, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Morioka $1,898

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,607 in Morioka, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Morioka $2,607

Playa del Carmen and Morioka have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Playa del Carmen and Morioka are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Morioka 13% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Morioka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$6.22 ¥982
75.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$813
$32.27 ¥5,096
34.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$5.15 ¥814
128.74%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.4
$3.06 ¥483
24.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.03
$1.14 ¥180
12.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.67
$0.80 ¥127
-2.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.3
$2.63 ¥415
20.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.5
$3.23 ¥511
52.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Morioka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$1.47 ¥232
-4.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.54
$1.54 ¥243
44.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.56
$4.08 ¥644
-65.20%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.27
$2.13 ¥336
18.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$9.94 ¥1,569
-26.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$7.45 ¥1,176
3.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$16.63 ¥2,627
-23.69%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.2
$4.03 ¥636
-31.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.64
$2.08 ¥328
-34.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.80
$3.03 ¥479
-15.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.78
$4.77 ¥753
-55.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.32
$2.78 ¥438
-30.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.34
$2.73 ¥431
-30.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.49
$1.33 ¥210
-13.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.09
$0.91 ¥144
29.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.5
$3.57 ¥564
20.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$186
$6.82 ¥1,077
45.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.67
$1.67 ¥264
-5.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$2.39 ¥378
11.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Morioka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.37
$1.47 ¥233
-62.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$499
$57.6 ¥9,088
-53.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.1
$3.24 ¥511
53.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.4
$3.11 ¥491
7.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$100
$19.05 ¥3,009
-71.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.06
$1.06 ¥168
35.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$387.3K
$19.0K ¥3.0M
8.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$439.7K
$15.5K ¥2.4M
51.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Morioka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,589
$137 ¥21.6K
-38.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$23.86 ¥3,769
-1.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$537
$31.17 ¥4,923
-8.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Morioka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,069
$50.5 ¥7,977
12.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$542
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.3
$13.62 ¥2,152
-62.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Morioka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,871
$759 ¥119.8K
-72.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.6K
$13.5K ¥2.1M
-70.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Morioka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$812
$43.09 ¥6,805
0.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$777
$31.59 ¥4,989
31.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,390
$69.6 ¥11.0K
6.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,672
$102 ¥16.1K
-12.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Morioka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$626 ¥98.9K
56.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,136
$300 ¥47.3K
27.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.0K
$916 ¥144.7K
86.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.1K
$706 ¥111.6K
52.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.9K
$4,709 ¥743.7K
-16.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.4K
$2,118 ¥334.5K
190.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Morioka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
2.21
418.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Morioka: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Morioka
$300 21.3% $81
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Morioka
$297 16.7% $42
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Morioka
$129 36.1% $73
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Morioka
$192 40.2% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Morioka
$111 0.9% $1
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Morioka
$78 15.5% $10
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Morioka
$82 63% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $626 in Morioka. 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $32 in Morioka. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $297 in Morioka – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇯🇵 Morioka
🕒 Local time
08:52 8:52 AM
22:52 10:52 PM
14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
289,731
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Morioka 11,650 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Morioka

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Morioka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Morioka?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,783 in Morioka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Morioka?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Morioka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $626 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Playa del Carmen and Morioka?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $759 in Morioka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $2,000 go in Playa del Carmen compared to Morioka?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,189 in Morioka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Morioka?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,189 in Morioka to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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