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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,023 in Oita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,672 in Oita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,322 in Oita.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 24% more expensive than in Oita, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Oita 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$5.30 ¥828

118.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$43.67 ¥6,820

7.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$5.97 ¥932

98.99%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.96 ¥306

103.06%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.03 ¥161

38.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.67 ¥104

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$3.15 ¥492

1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.24 ¥350

203.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.38 ¥215

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.23 ¥191

78.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$6.32 ¥987

-72.94%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.31 ¥361

18.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$3.19 ¥498

200.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.31 ¥830

69.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$12.91 ¥2,016

-0.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.29 ¥358

26.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.26 ¥197

19.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.60 ¥250

34.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.09 ¥326

8.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.28 ¥200

54.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.28 ¥199

55.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.99 ¥155

24.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.00 ¥157

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.98 ¥622

14.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$6.35 ¥992

63.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.65 ¥258

-1.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.93 ¥302

49.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.47 ¥230

-59.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$56.9 ¥8,884

-49.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.99 ¥622

35.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.09 ¥327

78.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$18.51 ¥2,890

-68.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.13 ¥176

36.28%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$22.5K ¥3.5M

0.20%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$17.9K ¥2.8M

45.27%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$51.9 ¥8,105

76.07%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$25.45 ¥3,975

-0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$33.68 ¥5,260

-7.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$52.8 ¥8,240

27.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$9.58 ¥1,496

-49.27%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$132 ¥20.6K

69.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$12.8K ¥2.0M

-67.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$38.67 ¥6,038

21.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$24.20 ¥3,780

83.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$60.8 ¥9,492

31.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$48.24 ¥7,533

92.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$503 ¥78.6K

111.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$334 ¥52.1K

16.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,034 ¥161.5K

107.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$754 ¥117.8K

68.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$4,223 ¥659.5K

-5.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$2,054 ¥320.7K

216.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,053 ¥164.5K

-28.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.85

518.92%

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 Oita: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $503 in Oita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oita pays 39% 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 $44.00 in Oita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $219 per month, with Oita cheaper across the board.

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 Oita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oita wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oita the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Oita. 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 $503 in Oita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $132 in Oita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,023 in Oita versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oita but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Oita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oita delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,023 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oita hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Oita 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 Oita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.