Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Wakayama

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,265 in Wakayama, rent and utilities included – about $730 less a year. The total is higher in Wakayama despite lower rent and utilities.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,265

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,265 in Wakayama, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Wakayama $1,265

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,078 in Wakayama, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Wakayama $2,078

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,890 in Wakayama, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Wakayama $2,890

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

Both Playa del Carmen and Wakayama are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Wakayama 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$6.32 ¥996

72.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$32.23 ¥5,082

34.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.22 ¥823

125.67%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$2.61 ¥411

45.98%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$1.30 ¥205

-1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.95 ¥149

-17.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$3.12 ¥492

1.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$1.89 ¥298

160.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.52 ¥240

-7.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$1.54 ¥243

44.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$4.06 ¥640

-65.02%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.21 ¥348

14.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$15.58 ¥2,457

-53.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$6.93 ¥1,093

11.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$16.97 ¥2,676

-25.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$8.61 ¥1,357

-67.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$2.99 ¥472

-54.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$5.15 ¥812

-50.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$7.67 ¥1,210

-72.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$3.91 ¥617

-50.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$4.57 ¥720

-58.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$1.18 ¥185

-2.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.94 ¥148

25.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$3.87 ¥610

11.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$9.65 ¥1,522

3.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$2.52 ¥397

-37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$2.11 ¥332

26.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$1.61 ¥254

-65.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$63.7 ¥10.0K

-58.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$3.22 ¥508

54.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$2.93 ¥462

13.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$15.82 ¥2,495

-66.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.10 ¥174

30.91%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$22.2K ¥3.5M

-6.77%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$15.0K ¥2.4M

56.24%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$118 ¥18.6K

-28.20%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$23.84 ¥3,759

-1.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$31.84 ¥5,021

-9.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$49.43 ¥7,794

15.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$12.61 ¥1,988

-59.24%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$685 ¥108.1K

-69.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$15.0K ¥2.4M

-73.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$50.3 ¥7,931

-13.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$35.61 ¥5,615

16.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$60.8 ¥9,581

22.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$99.4 ¥15.7K

-10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$475 ¥74.9K

106.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$311 ¥49.1K

22.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,147 ¥180.8K

48.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$810 ¥127.6K

32.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$4,633 ¥730.6K

-14.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$2,252 ¥355.1K

173.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$3,949 ¥622.7K

-81.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.67

585.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Wakayama

$311 24.6% 18.3% $70

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Wakayama

$381 30.1% 49.5% $126

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Wakayama

$126 10% 37.8% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Wakayama

$174 13.7% 27% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Wakayama

$111 8.8% 0.9% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Wakayama

$75 5.9% 10.9% $7.3

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Wakayama

$88 7% 74.5% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $475 in Wakayama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Wakayama are about 5.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $32 in Wakayama. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $381 in Wakayama – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

11:55 11:55 AM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

362,163

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Wakayama 12,450 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Wakayama

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 Wakayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wakayama is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,897 in Wakayama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wakayama, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $475 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,265 in Wakayama. That makes Playa del Carmen about 5% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,265 in Wakayama, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,265 in Wakayama. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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