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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,223 in Otsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,920 in Otsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,617 in Otsu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 3% more expensive than in Otsu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Otsu 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.50 ¥1,382

41.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$34.39 ¥5,587

21.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.47 ¥888

96.53%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.01 ¥490

16.28%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.91 ¥149

59.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.72 ¥117

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$3.45 ¥560

-14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.20 ¥520

40.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.69 ¥275

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.71 ¥278

7.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$3.10 ¥503

-49.35%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.34 ¥379

7.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.56 ¥1,554

-13.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.71 ¥1,253

9.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$15.61 ¥2,537

-31.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$5.46 ¥887

-52.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.60 ¥422

-44.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$4.83 ¥785

-59.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$3.94 ¥641

-46.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.60 ¥260

15.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.37 ¥385

-8.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.31 ¥212

-21.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.01 ¥164

5.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.06 ¥660

0.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.06 ¥1,472

12.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.80 ¥292

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.40 ¥390

5.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.59 ¥258

-67.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$54.9 ¥8,916

-52.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.44 ¥559

-6.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.93 ¥475

-17.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$17.07 ¥2,773

-81.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.19 ¥194

10.92%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$22.8K ¥3.7M

30.11%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$17.1K ¥2.8M

38.38%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$110 ¥17.9K

-25.50%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$26.63 ¥4,326

-13.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$33.78 ¥5,488

-10.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$54.9 ¥8,916

-5.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.64 ¥2,216

35.85%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$12.54 ¥2,037

-60.29%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$374 ¥60.7K

-47.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$7,474 ¥1.2M

-28.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$45.41 ¥7,378

-21.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$31.67 ¥5,146

27.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$56.1 ¥9,119

40.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$92.5 ¥15.0K

-3.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$468 ¥76.1K

102.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$323 ¥52.5K

46.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$856 ¥139.1K

91.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$669 ¥108.8K

80.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$4,318 ¥701.6K

-6.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,079 ¥337.7K

211.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,769 ¥287.5K

-63.05%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Otsu: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $468 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Otsu pays 171% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Otsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $311, 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 3% 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.

On paper, salaries run 171% lower in Otsu. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $468 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 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 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,223 in Otsu versus $1,256 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 $1,223 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 3% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.