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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,216 in Tsushima Island, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,898 in Tsushima Island, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,580 in Tsushima Island, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 4% 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 7% lower, Tsushima Island 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.85 ¥1,075

69.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$34.32 ¥5,383

37.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.52 ¥866

115.22%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.05 ¥479

30.49%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.09 ¥171

31.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.80 ¥126

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.07 ¥325

54.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.16 ¥496

114.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.54 ¥241

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.60 ¥251

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$4.81 ¥754

-64.45%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.23 ¥350

22.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.02 ¥1,572

-4.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.46 ¥1,013

39.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$15.35 ¥2,408

-16.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$5.35 ¥838

-45.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$2.62 ¥411

-42.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$4.05 ¥635

-46.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$4.62 ¥725

-51.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$3.33 ¥522

-40.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$2.69 ¥422

-26.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.32 ¥207

-6.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.89 ¥140

34.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$4.19 ¥657

8.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.62 ¥1,038

56.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$2.00 ¥314

-19.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.39 ¥374

20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$1.66 ¥260

-63.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$54.5 ¥8,554

-47.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$3.41 ¥535

58.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$2.87 ¥449

29.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$20.83 ¥3,267

-72.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.18 ¥186

30.51%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

-1.30%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$17.3K ¥2.7M

50.34%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$139 ¥21.8K

-34.17%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$27.55 ¥4,321

-8.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$33.49 ¥5,252

-6.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$57.6 ¥9,030

16.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$13.94 ¥2,186

108.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$13.12 ¥2,058

-62.96%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$284 ¥44.5K

-21.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$13.5K ¥2.1M

-68.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$44.05 ¥6,909

6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$28.97 ¥4,543

52.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$60.2 ¥9,438

33.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$92.1 ¥14.4K

0.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$466 ¥73.1K

128.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$330 ¥51.8K

18.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$852 ¥133.7K

152.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$660 ¥103.5K

92.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,859 ¥448.4K

39.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,775 ¥278.4K

266.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.81

532.60%

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 Tsushima Island: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $466 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Tsushima Island. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $309 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 4%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,824 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,216 in Tsushima Island. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 89% 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 $1,216, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.