Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Utsunomiya Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Utsunomiya

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,259 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,947 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,635 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 4% more than Utsunomiya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Utsunomiya are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Utsunomiya 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$6.13 ¥941

95.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$17.11 ¥2,627

176.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.55 ¥699

158.24%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.55 ¥546

16.06%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.09 ¥167

28.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.81 ¥125

12.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$3.18 ¥488

0.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.93 ¥297

266.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.39 ¥214

20.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.76 ¥270

22.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$5.81 ¥893

-69.54%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.23 ¥342

26.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.02 ¥1,693

-16.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$7.66 ¥1,176

20.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$19.93 ¥3,061

-36.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$5.36 ¥823

-44.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.56 ¥393

-38.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$4.68 ¥718

-52.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$6.05 ¥930

-60.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$3.50 ¥538

-43.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$3.37 ¥517

-41.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.26 ¥193

-1.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.80 ¥123

51.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.95 ¥607

16.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$9.27 ¥1,423

13.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.83 ¥280

-7.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.06 ¥470

-9.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.45 ¥222

-58.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$55.3 ¥8,491

-46.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$3.20 ¥492

63.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.20 ¥491

14.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$18.70 ¥2,871

-69.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.10 ¥169

40.00%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$21.3K ¥3.3M

7.11%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$14.9K ¥2.3M

72.75%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$162 ¥24.8K

-43.92%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$22.70 ¥3,486

10.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$29.92 ¥4,594

6.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$49.90 ¥7,662

37.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$12.30 ¥1,888

138.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$12.65 ¥1,943

-61.58%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$1,301 ¥199.7K

-82.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$17.6K ¥2.7M

-76.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$52.2 ¥8,008

-9.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$31.88 ¥4,896

36.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$61.9 ¥9,506

29.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$73.0 ¥11.2K

25.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$463 ¥71.0K

134.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$324 ¥49.8K

25.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,085 ¥166.6K

81.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$723 ¥111.0K

77.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$4,204 ¥645.6K

-3.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,907 ¥292.8K

251.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.93

493.26%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Utsunomiya: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $463 in Utsunomiya. 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 $17.00 in Utsunomiya. Groceries tell a different story – $278 in Playa del Carmen vs $352 in Utsunomiya – 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 Utsunomiya: 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,888 in Utsunomiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Utsunomiya, 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $1,259 in Utsunomiya. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 86% less in Utsunomiya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Utsunomiya, where all-in costs run around $1,259, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Utsunomiya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Utsunomiya – 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 Utsunomiya. 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.