Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tsushima Island Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tsushima Island

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,224 in Tsushima Island, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,906 in Tsushima Island, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,589 in Tsushima Island, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 3% more than Tsushima Island, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tsushima Island are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Tsushima Island 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.75 ¥1,097

77.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$34.63 ¥5,627

20.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.50 ¥894

95.45%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.10 ¥504

12.90%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.09 ¥177

33.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.81 ¥132

8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.09 ¥340

41.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.19 ¥518

41.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.58 ¥257

-9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.64 ¥266

12.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$4.82 ¥782

-67.43%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.19 ¥356

14.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.91 ¥1,610

-16.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.22 ¥1,010

35.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$15.44 ¥2,509

-30.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$5.29 ¥860

-50.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.65 ¥431

-45.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$4.10 ¥665

-52.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$4.64 ¥754

-54.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$3.33 ¥541

-44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.58 ¥420

-15.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.38 ¥225

-25.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.88 ¥144

21.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.13 ¥672

-0.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.65 ¥1,081

52.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.92 ¥312

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.34 ¥381

8.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.66 ¥269

-69.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$55.3 ¥8,983

-52.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.41 ¥555

-5.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$3.02 ¥491

-20.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$21.15 ¥3,437

-84.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.25 ¥202

5.60%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$23.2K ¥3.8M

27.79%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$17.4K ¥2.8M

36.34%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$140 ¥22.7K

-41.41%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$27.46 ¥4,462

-16.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$34.02 ¥5,527

-11.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$58.2 ¥9,459

-10.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.81 ¥2,243

34.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$12.96 ¥2,105

-61.57%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$279 ¥45.4K

-29.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-59.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$43.55 ¥7,076

-18.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.44 ¥4,783

36.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$59.5 ¥9,668

32.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$91.7 ¥14.9K

-2.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$461 ¥74.8K

105.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$328 ¥53.2K

44.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$865 ¥140.6K

89.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$647 ¥105.1K

87.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,863 ¥465.2K

41.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,102 ¥341.6K

207.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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 13, 2026

Last update for Tsushima Island: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $461 in Tsushima Island. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $35.00 in Tsushima Island. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $308 in Tsushima Island – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Tsushima Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 3%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,836 in Tsushima Island. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tsushima Island, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $1,224 in Tsushima Island. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 112% less in Tsushima Island. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tsushima Island, where all-in costs run around $1,224, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Tsushima Island it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tsushima Island – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tsushima Island. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.