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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,356 in Nagoya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,135 in Nagoya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,915 in Nagoya.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 7% less than in Nagoya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Nagoya is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$7.08 ¥1,151

69.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$34.77 ¥5,649

20.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.65 ¥919

90.27%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.13 ¥508

11.82%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.17 ¥190

23.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.75 ¥121

17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.04 ¥331

44.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.10 ¥504

45.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.67 ¥271

-14.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.78 ¥289

3.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$5.00 ¥812

-68.60%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.22 ¥360

13.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.01 ¥1,626

-17.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.46 ¥1,049

30.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$15.54 ¥2,525

-31.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$9.19 ¥1,493

-71.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.89 ¥470

-50.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$4.00 ¥650

-51.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$6.17 ¥1,002

-66.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$4.01 ¥651

-53.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.59 ¥420

-16.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.34 ¥217

-23.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.45 ¥236

-26.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.49 ¥567

17.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.04 ¥1,469

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.82 ¥296

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.07 ¥336

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.64 ¥267

-68.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$70.2 ¥11.4K

-62.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.46 ¥562

-6.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.92 ¥475

-17.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$17.28 ¥2,808

-81.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.18 ¥191

11.86%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$23.3K ¥3.8M

27.62%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$16.7K ¥2.7M

41.27%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$139 ¥22.6K

-41.02%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$26.68 ¥4,336

-13.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$34.02 ¥5,527

-11.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$55.8 ¥9,070

-6.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$18.73 ¥3,043

-1.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$12.54 ¥2,037

-60.29%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$478 ¥77.7K

-58.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$11.4K ¥1.9M

-53.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$46.69 ¥7,586

-23.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.25 ¥4,753

37.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$57.0 ¥9,263

38.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$91.3 ¥14.8K

-2.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$587 ¥95.4K

61.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$404 ¥65.6K

17.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,352 ¥219.7K

21.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$854 ¥138.8K

41.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,452 ¥398.4K

65.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,098 ¥178.3K

489.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,842 ¥299.3K

-64.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

1.78

541.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Nagoya: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $587 in Nagoya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nagoya pays 182% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Nagoya. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $354, 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 Nagoya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 182% lower in Nagoya. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $587 in Nagoya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 170% less than in Nagoya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $478 in Nagoya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,356 in Nagoya, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Nagoya. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nagoya, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Nagoya 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Nagoya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.