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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,216 in Otsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,935 in Otsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,655 in Otsu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 7% more expensive than Otsu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Otsu 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$8.09 ¥1,293

44.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$34.07 ¥5,450

22.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.64 ¥903

88.65%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$3.09 ¥495

13.92%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.92 ¥147

64.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.72 ¥115

34.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.52 ¥563

-16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.19 ¥510

39.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.69 ¥270

-18.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.72 ¥274

9.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$3.09 ¥495

-46.93%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.35 ¥376

6.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$9.61 ¥1,537

-13.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$7.75 ¥1,239

7.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$15.18 ¥2,428

-29.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$5.40 ¥865

-51.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$2.60 ¥416

-43.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$4.96 ¥793

-61.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$3.95 ¥632

-47.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.66 ¥265

7.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$2.36 ¥378

-7.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.23 ¥197

-15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.01 ¥161

6.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.04 ¥646

0.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$7.31 ¥1,169

41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.80 ¥288

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.39 ¥382

7.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$1.61 ¥258

-68.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$55.1 ¥8,818

-52.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$3.49 ¥557

-6.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$2.89 ¥462

-13.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$17.62 ¥2,819

-81.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.22 ¥196

7.38%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

32.92%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$17.1K ¥2.7M

37.38%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$113 ¥18.1K

-26.64%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$26.63 ¥4,260

-16.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$33.27 ¥5,322

-11.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$56.5 ¥9,036

-8.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$14.04 ¥2,246

30.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$12.45 ¥1,992

-59.28%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$374 ¥59.9K

-46.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$7,274 ¥1.2M

-28.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$46.68 ¥7,466

-20.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$31.44 ¥5,028

26.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$55.4 ¥8,859

41.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$92.4 ¥14.8K

-5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$467 ¥74.7K

108.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$325 ¥52.1K

43.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$877 ¥140.3K

87.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$651 ¥104.2K

87.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$4,879 ¥780.4K

-19.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$2,196 ¥351.2K

195.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

1.78

541.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Otsu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $467 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Otsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $306, 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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Otsu wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Otsu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,823 in Otsu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $467 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $374 in Otsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,216 in Otsu versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Otsu but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Otsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Otsu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,216 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Otsu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Otsu 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 Otsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.