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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,352 in Osaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,044 in Osaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,737 in Osaka.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 6% less than in Osaka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Osaka is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.95 ¥1,112

70.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$34.23 ¥5,475

25.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.87 ¥778

118.69%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.29 ¥527

4.86%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.08 ¥174

38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.75 ¥121

26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.82 ¥450

7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.30 ¥687

7.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.59 ¥254

-13.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.49 ¥238

24.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$4.68 ¥749

-65.60%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.41 ¥386

7.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.49 ¥1,679

-21.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.33 ¥1,013

32.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$19.18 ¥3,068

-44.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.69 ¥590

-28.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.11 ¥338

-29.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.60 ¥416

-26.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.55 ¥727

-54.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.71 ¥274

8.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.25 ¥200

80.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.36 ¥218

-22.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.84 ¥135

29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.85 ¥615

7.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.13 ¥1,460

13.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.05 ¥328

-16.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.93 ¥469

-10.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.60 ¥256

-66.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$36.06 ¥5,768

-25.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.56 ¥729

-31.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$3.38 ¥540

-25.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$23.20 ¥3,710

-86.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.22 ¥196

4.10%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

28.78%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$17.3K ¥2.8M

36.48%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$132 ¥21.0K

-36.91%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$27.19 ¥4,349

-16.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$30.52 ¥4,881

-3.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$57.3 ¥9,170

-11.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$21.19 ¥3,390

-13.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$12.24 ¥1,957

-59.72%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$68.3 ¥10.9K

189.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$10.6K ¥1.7M

-49.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$44.66 ¥7,144

-17.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$29.63 ¥4,740

34.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$68.4 ¥10.9K

17.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$96.4 ¥15.4K

-7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$732 ¥117.0K

30.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$466 ¥74.6K

2.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,284 ¥205.4K

28.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$813 ¥130.1K

50.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$6,119 ¥978.7K

-35.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,098 ¥335.5K

207.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,968 ¥314.7K

-66.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

1.81

530.94%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Osaka: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $732 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 195% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $302, 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 Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Osaka differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,352 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Osaka earns 195% less. 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $732 in Osaka. 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 34% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $68.3 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,352 in Osaka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Osaka 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 6% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.