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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,178 in Nagasaki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,884 in Nagasaki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,590 in Nagasaki.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 9% more expensive than Nagasaki, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Nagasaki 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.50 ¥880

117.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$20.61 ¥3,298

107.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.67 ¥907

86.77%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.16 ¥506

14.56%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.08 ¥172

36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.76 ¥122

23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.46 ¥393

25.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.39 ¥383

86.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.61 ¥257

-11.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.27 ¥203

48.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$4.20 ¥673

-61.19%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.20 ¥351

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.27 ¥1,644

-20.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.46 ¥554

139.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$20.52 ¥3,284

-45.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.20 ¥513

-17.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.38 ¥221

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.43 ¥229

39.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$5.95 ¥952

-65.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.70 ¥432

-33.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$3.28 ¥524

-33.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.92 ¥148

17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.53 ¥84.4

96.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.81 ¥609

4.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.13 ¥981

66.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.01 ¥322

-13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.04 ¥327

22.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.94 ¥151

-44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$114 ¥18.2K

-76.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$4.17 ¥667

-24.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.91 ¥465

-17.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$19.21 ¥3,076

-83.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.20 ¥192

5.83%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

31.24%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$20.0K ¥3.2M

16.69%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$217 ¥34.8K

-62.25%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$26.86 ¥4,300

-16.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$36.27 ¥5,807

-18.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$56.4 ¥9,035

-8.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$14.06 ¥2,251

32.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$13.61 ¥2,179

-63.48%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$265 ¥42.4K

-25.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-61.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$43.77 ¥7,006

-16.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$30.05 ¥4,811

33.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$65.4 ¥10.5K

22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$59.7 ¥9,553

48.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$313 ¥50.1K

207.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$206 ¥32.9K

125.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$881 ¥141.0K

81.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$654 ¥104.6K

84.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$4,531 ¥725.3K

-13.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,615 ¥258.6K

299.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Nagasaki: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $313 in Nagasaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Nagasaki. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $275, 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 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,766 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $313 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,178 in Nagasaki versus $1,287 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 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.