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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,268 in Narita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,951 in Narita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,635 in Narita.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 1% less than in Narita, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.65 ¥891

107.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$41.07 ¥6,471

2.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.95 ¥781

112.32%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.19 ¥503

12.54%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.80 ¥127

88.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.76 ¥120

21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.14 ¥337

38.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.05 ¥480

44.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.23 ¥194

13.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.88 ¥139

113.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$5.04 ¥794

-69.05%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.29 ¥360

13.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.27 ¥1,618

-18.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.19 ¥975

34.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$15.22 ¥2,399

-28.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$6.05 ¥953

-55.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$3.13 ¥493

-51.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$3.91 ¥616

-52.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$6.13 ¥965

-64.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$3.34 ¥526

-44.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$4.19 ¥661

-46.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.37 ¥217

-21.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.88 ¥139

23.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.23 ¥509

29.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$9.02 ¥1,421

15.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.84 ¥290

-9.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.11 ¥332

23.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.66 ¥262

-67.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$55.6 ¥8,762

-52.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.45 ¥544

-10.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.61 ¥254

49.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$22.48 ¥3,542

-86.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.12 ¥176

16.96%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.6K ¥3.2M

44.86%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$18.4K ¥2.9M

27.08%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$144 ¥22.8K

-43.74%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$27.91 ¥4,397

-19.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$31.60 ¥4,980

-4.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$55.6 ¥8,764

-4.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$14.09 ¥2,220

30.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$12.42 ¥1,956

-60.39%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$287 ¥45.2K

-30.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

-63.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$42.25 ¥6,658

-14.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$29.56 ¥4,658

35.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$61.2 ¥9,639

30.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$112 ¥17.6K

-22.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$503 ¥79.3K

94.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$351 ¥55.4K

33.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$875 ¥137.8K

88.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$672 ¥105.9K

79.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$4,599 ¥724.6K

-14.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$2,326 ¥366.5K

184.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$1,218 ¥191.9K

-44.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

2.05

457.07%

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 Narita: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $503 in Narita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Narita pays 80% 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 $41.00 in Narita. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $319, 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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 80% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $503 in Narita. 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 113% less than in Narita. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $287 in Narita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,268 in Narita, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Narita. 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 Narita, 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Narita. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.