Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,400 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
Learn more

Osaka Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Osaka

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Osaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,400 in Osaka.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Osaka $1,400

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,991 in Osaka.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Osaka $1,991

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,582 in Osaka.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Osaka $2,582

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 13% less than in Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 9% below, Osaka is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$6.19 ¥979

77.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$31.80 ¥5,032

41.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$4.93 ¥781

141.78%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$3.00 ¥474

26.67%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$1.45 ¥229

-9.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$0.72 ¥113

19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$2.62 ¥415

22.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$3.91 ¥618

28.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.46 ¥230

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$1.31 ¥207

77.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$5.25 ¥831

-72.57%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$2.03 ¥321

21.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$9.77 ¥1,545

-21.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$9.22 ¥1,460

-14.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$17.95 ¥2,841

-28.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$3.29 ¥520

-11.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$2.00 ¥317

-29.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$2.11 ¥334

21.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$4.11 ¥650

-47.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$1.51 ¥239

29.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$1.19 ¥188

63.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$1.30 ¥206

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$0.86 ¥137

41.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$3.82 ¥604

14.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$9.74 ¥1,542

1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$1.87 ¥296

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$3.15 ¥499

-13.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$1.34 ¥212

-61.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$32.68 ¥5,171

-16.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$3.85 ¥610

27.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$3.19 ¥505

10.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$21.93 ¥3,470

-74.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$1.10 ¥173

40.00%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$21.5K ¥3.4M

-1.26%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

61.83%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$140 ¥22.2K

-40.31%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$24.14 ¥3,821

-0.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$30.58 ¥4,840

-4.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$49.41 ¥7,819

31.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$18.41 ¥2,914

60.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$12.27 ¥1,941

-58.52%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$511 ¥80.9K

-59.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$13.1K ¥2.1M

-69.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$47.50 ¥7,517

-6.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$30.12 ¥4,767

39.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$73.4 ¥11.6K

2.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$91.0 ¥14.4K

0.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$704 ¥111.3K

40.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$508 ¥80.4K

-24.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$1,751 ¥277.2K

-2.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$765 ¥121.1K

44.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$6,208 ¥982.3K

-35.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$1,938 ¥306.7K

222.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$2,346 ¥371.2K

-67.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.21

418.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Osaka

$508 36.9% 31.8% $123

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Osaka

$301 21.9% 15.7% $41

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Osaka

$130 9.5% 36.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Osaka

$195 14.2% 42.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Osaka

$109 7.9% 4.5% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 1.5% $1.1

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Osaka

$58 4.2% 11.1% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Playa del Carmen and $704 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 209% 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: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $301, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

22:06 10:06 PM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,691,185

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Playa del Carmen Osaka 12,400 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 15% in total monthly costs ($1,215 vs $1,400 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 209% lower in Osaka. 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: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $704 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 19% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $208 in Playa del Carmen versus $511 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,400 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 15% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.