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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,468 in Naha, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,033 in Naha, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,599 in Naha, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 12% cheaper than Naha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Naha is 7% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$4.95 ¥774

136.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$30.26 ¥4,728

53.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$4.90 ¥765

137.76%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$2.97 ¥464

37.71%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$1.27 ¥198

7.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$0.91 ¥142

-8.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$2.05 ¥320

63.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.99 ¥623

73.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.64 ¥256

5.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$2.06 ¥322

9.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$3.80 ¥594

-53.42%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$1.80 ¥281

51.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$17.87 ¥2,791

-48.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.78 ¥747

86.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$22.56 ¥3,524

-44.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$3.60 ¥562

-16.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$2.71 ¥423

-42.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$2.15 ¥336

-0.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$5.10 ¥796

-55.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$2.44 ¥381

-18.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$2.53 ¥395

-18.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$1.24 ¥193

-4.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$0.72 ¥112

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$3.92 ¥613

18.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$6.31 ¥985

69.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$1.91 ¥299

-15.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$3.27 ¥512

-11.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$1.64 ¥257

-65.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

$61.6 ¥9,620

-51.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$3.83 ¥598

42.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$3.41 ¥533

8.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$11.27 ¥1,761

-46.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.01 ¥158

53.47%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$20.6K ¥3.2M

8.64%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

75.14%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$95.2 ¥14.9K

-6.34%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$25.15 ¥3,929

-0.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$52.3 ¥8,168

-39.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$53.4 ¥8,349

26.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$12.06 ¥1,884

-58.13%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$326 ¥50.9K

-31.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$5,461 ¥853.2K

-22.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$48.53 ¥7,581

-2.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$23.58 ¥3,684

90.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$78.5 ¥12.3K

4.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$93.7 ¥14.6K

-1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$729 ¥113.9K

46.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$574 ¥89.6K

-29.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,085 ¥169.5K

78.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$739 ¥115.5K

75.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$4,466 ¥697.8K

-10.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$1,976 ¥308.7K

235.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$954 ¥149.1K

-21.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.23

413.45%

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 Naha: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $729 in Naha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Naha, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in Naha. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Playa del Carmen vs $328 in Naha – 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 Naha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Naha costs about 13% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,202 in Naha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $30.00 in Naha. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $1,468 in Naha. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Naha at $1,468. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Naha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,293 versus $1,468 in Naha. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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