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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,213 in Narita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,972 in Narita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,731 in Narita.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 4% more expensive than in Narita, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Narita 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$5.78 ¥902

100.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$41.79 ¥6,526

12.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$4.47 ¥699

165.77%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.15 ¥492

26.35%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.81 ¥127

76.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.74 ¥116

10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.05 ¥320

55.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.17 ¥495

114.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.27 ¥199

32.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.76 ¥275

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$3.64 ¥569

-53.02%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.04 ¥319

34.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$12.07 ¥1,885

-20.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.11 ¥954

47.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$14.57 ¥2,275

-12.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$5.89 ¥920

-50.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.78 ¥434

-46.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.91 ¥454

-26.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$4.18 ¥653

-45.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.71 ¥424

-26.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.73 ¥426

-27.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.28 ¥199

-3.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.83 ¥129

44.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.80 ¥593

19.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$6.29 ¥982

64.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.79 ¥280

-9.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.12 ¥331

35.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.50 ¥234

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$59.0 ¥9,220

-51.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.18 ¥497

69.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.64 ¥257

127.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$21.25 ¥3,318

-72.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.07 ¥167

43.93%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$22.3K ¥3.5M

1.22%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$18.4K ¥2.9M

41.44%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$133 ¥20.7K

-31.14%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$25.26 ¥3,945

-0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$29.67 ¥4,634

5.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$53.5 ¥8,359

25.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$11.53 ¥1,801

-57.85%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$646 ¥100.9K

-65.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-71.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$62.9 ¥9,820

-25.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$33.28 ¥5,197

33.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$63.1 ¥9,848

27.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$103 ¥16.1K

-10.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$520 ¥81.2K

104.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$342 ¥53.4K

14.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,088 ¥170.0K

97.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$855 ¥133.6K

48.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$3,393 ¥529.8K

17.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$2,030 ¥317.1K

220.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,296 ¥202.4K

-41.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.12

440.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Narita: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $520 in Narita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Narita pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $42.00 in Narita. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $297, 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 Narita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Narita is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Narita. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $520 in Narita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Narita runs roughly 105% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $646 in Narita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,213 in Narita versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Narita but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Narita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Narita 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 Narita 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 Narita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.