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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,347 in Osaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,036 in Osaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,725 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

$11.72 MX$203

$6.75 ¥1,064

73.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$35.24 ¥5,553

18.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.75 ¥749

121.26%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.29 ¥518

9.12%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.10 ¥173

37.27%

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

$2.82 ¥445

4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$4.41 ¥695

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.59 ¥250

-11.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.44 ¥227

30.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$4.78 ¥753

-67.36%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.33 ¥367

12.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.61 ¥1,671

-21.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.39 ¥1,007

30.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$18.87 ¥2,973

-42.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.66 ¥577

-25.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.12 ¥334

-28.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.52 ¥396

-25.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$4.44 ¥699

-50.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.67 ¥262

11.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.26 ¥199

76.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.33 ¥209

-19.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.87 ¥138

25.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.96 ¥625

5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$9.05 ¥1,426

15.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.03 ¥320

-18.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.90 ¥458

-10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.59 ¥250

-66.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$35.37 ¥5,574

-26.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.45 ¥700

-30.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$3.35 ¥528

-28.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$23.70 ¥3,734

-86.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.19 ¥188

10.08%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$23.1K ¥3.6M

29.04%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$16.9K ¥2.7M

38.34%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$135 ¥21.3K

-39.80%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$27.52 ¥4,336

-18.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$30.63 ¥4,826

-1.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$57.2 ¥9,020

-7.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$21.14 ¥3,331

-13.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$12.25 ¥1,930

-59.84%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$68.0 ¥10.7K

195.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$10.5K ¥1.6M

-50.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$44.66 ¥7,037

-19.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$28.96 ¥4,563

38.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$68.6 ¥10.8K

16.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$96.6 ¥15.2K

-10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$721 ¥113.6K

35.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$474 ¥74.6K

-0.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,298 ¥204.5K

27.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$818 ¥128.9K

47.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$5,971 ¥940.9K

-33.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$2,029 ¥319.7K

225.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$1,868 ¥294.3K

-63.77%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Osaka: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $721 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 176% 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 $35.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $300, 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $1,347 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 176% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $721 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 35% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $68.0 in Osaka. 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 $1,347 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 7% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.