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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,185 in Nagasaki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,905 in Nagasaki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,625 in Nagasaki.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 6% more expensive than in Nagasaki, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Nagasaki 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.61 ¥884

108.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$20.62 ¥3,250

103.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.72 ¥901

83.74%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.10 ¥488

15.81%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.09 ¥171

38.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.80 ¥125

15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.50 ¥393

18.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.39 ¥377

84.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.59 ¥250

-11.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.28 ¥201

46.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$4.14 ¥652

-62.32%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.28 ¥359

14.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.20 ¥1,608

-18.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.54 ¥557

135.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$20.71 ¥3,263

-47.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.06 ¥482

-11.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.35 ¥213

11.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.42 ¥224

31.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$5.92 ¥932

-63.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.84 ¥447

-34.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$3.17 ¥499

-29.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.98 ¥154

9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.57 ¥89.5

91.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.84 ¥605

9.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.25 ¥984

66.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.99 ¥313

-16.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.13 ¥336

22.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.93 ¥146

-41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$113 ¥17.8K

-76.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.10 ¥646

-24.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.91 ¥458

-17.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$19.65 ¥3,097

-84.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.15 ¥181

13.91%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$23.2K ¥3.6M

28.75%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$20.4K ¥3.2M

14.42%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$215 ¥33.9K

-62.17%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$27.15 ¥4,278

-16.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$35.72 ¥5,629

-15.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$55.6 ¥8,759

-4.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$13.80 ¥2,175

33.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$14.13 ¥2,227

-65.18%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$259 ¥40.9K

-22.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$13.4K ¥2.1M

-61.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$43.40 ¥6,839

-17.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$29.96 ¥4,720

33.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$66.6 ¥10.5K

19.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$60.1 ¥9,463

43.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$309 ¥48.7K

216.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$208 ¥32.7K

126.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$857 ¥135.1K

92.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$659 ¥103.8K

82.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$4,346 ¥684.8K

-9.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$2,051 ¥323.2K

222.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

1.67

583.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Nagasaki: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $309 in Nagasaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Nagasaki. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $276, 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 Nagasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nagasaki is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,778 in Nagasaki 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $309 in Nagasaki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Nagasaki – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,185 in Nagasaki versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nagasaki but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nagasaki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nagasaki 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 Nagasaki 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 Nagasaki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.