Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tokushima

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,274 in Tokushima, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. The total is higher in Tokushima despite lower rent and utilities.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Tokushima
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,274
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Tokushima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,274 in Tokushima, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Tokushima $1,274

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,039 in Tokushima, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,102
  • Tokushima $2,039

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,804 in Tokushima, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,000
  • Tokushima $2,804

Playa del Carmen is about 5% cheaper than Tokushima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tokushima are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Tokushima 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Tokushima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$201
$7.05 ¥1,115
54.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.21 MX$817
$31.38 ¥4,958
40.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 MX$217
$5.08 ¥803
131.50%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.0
$2.44 ¥386
50.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 MX$24.79
$1.29 ¥204
3.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$15.24
$0.81 ¥128
1.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 MX$56.6
$3.13 ¥495
-2.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MX$91.2
$3.09 ¥489
59.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Tokushima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.49 ¥235
-1.34%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$40.95
$1.50 ¥237
48.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.32
$4.05 ¥641
-63.46%
Eggs
$2.49 MX$45.99
$2.21 ¥349
12.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 MX$139
$15.82 ¥2,499
-52.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 MX$147
$6.99 ¥1,105
13.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$232
$17.41 ¥2,751
-27.80%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.3
$8.19 ¥1,293
-66.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$3.02 ¥477
-52.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 MX$48.37
$5.08 ¥803
-48.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.49
$6.12 ¥967
-65.03%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.38
$3.72 ¥588
-45.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.74
$3.79 ¥599
-47.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.01
$1.14 ¥179
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$22.18
$0.84 ¥132
42.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.7
$3.96 ¥626
7.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 MX$185
$9.68 ¥1,530
3.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.41
$2.50 ¥395
-38.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 MX$49.17
$2.07 ¥327
28.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Tokushima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 MX$9.73
$1.52 ¥240
-65.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.51 MX$508
$53.7 ¥8,487
-48.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 MX$90.6
$3.21 ¥507
52.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.43 MX$63.5
$2.90 ¥459
18.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 MX$99.4
$31.93 ¥5,045
-83.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$26.76
$1.10 ¥174
31.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$391.0K
$21.8K ¥3.4M
-2.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K MX$425.3K
$14.9K ¥2.4M
54.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Tokushima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.4 MX$1,577
$114 ¥18.1K
-25.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.46 MX$434
$23.74 ¥3,750
-1.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.43 MX$525
$31.53 ¥4,981
-9.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Tokushima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.2 MX$1,149
$60.5 ¥9,559
2.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.68 MX$530
$24.82 ¥3,922
15.55%
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 MX$94.3
$11.34 ¥1,792
-55.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Tokushima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,715
$578 ¥91.3K
-65.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,947 MX$72.9K
$14.8K ¥2.3M
-73.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Tokushima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.39 MX$820
$49.24 ¥7,779
-9.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 MX$764
$35.51 ¥5,610
16.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 MX$1,344
$60.6 ¥9,579
19.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 MX$1,656
$98.6 ¥15.6K
-9.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Tokushima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 MX$18.1K
$522 ¥82.5K
87.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 MX$6,887
$334 ¥52.8K
11.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,681 MX$31.1K
$1,083 ¥171.1K
55.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MX$20.2K
$731 ¥115.4K
49.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,949 MX$73.0K
$4,217 ¥666.3K
-6.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,137 MX$113.4K
$1,734 ¥274.0K
253.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Tokushima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 MX$13.6K
$1,386 ¥219.0K
-46.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
2.02
466.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Tokushima: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$373
Tokushima
$334 10.4% $39
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Tokushima
$369 42.8% $110
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Tokushima
$131 34.4% $69
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Tokushima
$170 23.5% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Tokushima
$110 1.7% $1.9
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$72
Tokushima
$83 14.9% $11
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Tokushima
$78 50% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $522 in Tokushima. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 88% higher in Tokushima, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $31.00 in Tokushima. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Playa del Carmen vs $369 in Tokushima – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇯🇵 Tokushima
🕒 Local time
16:40 4:40 PM
06:40 6:40 AM
14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
252,391
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Tokushima 12,500 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Tokushima

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 Tokushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tokushima cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Tokushima is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,911 in Tokushima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Tokushima?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,274 in Tokushima. That's a gap of about 6%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 95% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Tokushima?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Tokushima at $1,274. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokushima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Tokushima more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tokushima makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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