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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,317 in Otsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,920 in Otsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,523 in Otsu.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 4% less than in Otsu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Otsu 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$8.79 ¥1,373

31.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$32.79 ¥5,121

43.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$5.05 ¥789

135.25%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.20 ¥500

24.37%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.26 ¥197

13.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.83 ¥130

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$3.29 ¥514

-3.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.42 ¥690

53.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.56 ¥244

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.60 ¥250

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$4.63 ¥723

-63.07%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.29 ¥357

19.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$16.04 ¥2,504

-40.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.58 ¥1,027

36.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$17.75 ¥2,772

-27.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$5.33 ¥832

-45.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.65 ¥413

-43.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$5.07 ¥791

-57.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$4.49 ¥701

-49.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.23 ¥348

-11.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.89 ¥295

5.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.16 ¥182

6.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.94 ¥147

27.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.97 ¥620

14.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$9.77 ¥1,526

6.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$2.09 ¥327

-22.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.14 ¥335

34.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.54 ¥241

-61.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$59.1 ¥9,222

-51.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.16 ¥494

70.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.96 ¥462

26.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$28.60 ¥4,467

-79.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.13 ¥176

36.28%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$22.1K ¥3.4M

2.18%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

69.31%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$117 ¥18.3K

-21.90%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$23.73 ¥3,706

6.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$31.66 ¥4,945

-1.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$52.2 ¥8,153

28.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$9.81 ¥1,532

196.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$12.51 ¥1,954

-61.15%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$577 ¥90.1K

-61.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$13.0K ¥2.0M

-67.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$57.9 ¥9,034

-18.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$36.39 ¥5,683

21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$71.0 ¥11.1K

12.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$100 ¥15.7K

-7.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$458 ¥71.5K

132.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$382 ¥59.6K

2.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$654 ¥102.2K

228.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$468 ¥73.1K

171.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$3,775 ¥589.6K

5.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,790 ¥279.5K

263.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,846 ¥288.3K

-58.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.1

445.24%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Otsu: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $458 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Otsu pays 143% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Otsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $339, 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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Otsu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 143% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $458 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $577 in Otsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Otsu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,317 in Otsu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Otsu. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Otsu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.