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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,279 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,969 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,659 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 2% cheaper than Yamaguchi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Yamaguchi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Yamaguchi 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$4.21 ¥688

183.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$34.18 ¥5,577

22.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$5.66 ¥924

84.10%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$3.14 ¥513

11.78%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$1.04 ¥169

46.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.85

$0.82 ¥134

10.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$2.56 ¥417

18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$4.97 ¥811

-12.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$1.71 ¥280

-16.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$1.64 ¥267

11.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$4.06 ¥662

-59.85%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$2.50 ¥408

1.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$10.21 ¥1,667

-16.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$5.98 ¥976

41.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$20.72 ¥3,381

-47.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$3.13 ¥511

-12.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.37 ¥224

5.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.84

$1.36 ¥221

38.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$5.91 ¥965

-63.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$2.82 ¥459

-36.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$3.23 ¥527

-31.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$0.92 ¥150

16.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.81 ¥132

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$3.91 ¥638

6.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$6.19 ¥1,010

68.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$1.93 ¥316

-9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.93

$2.06 ¥336

25.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$1.59 ¥259

-67.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$56.0 ¥9,141

-53.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$4.51 ¥737

-28.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$3.01 ¥490

-16.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$19.84 ¥3,238

-83.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.20 ¥196

5.00%

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

$29.7K MX$516.7K

$23.0K ¥3.7M

29.21%

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

$23.7K MX$412.2K

$19.8K ¥3.2M

19.62%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$218 ¥35.6K

-62.44%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$27.26 ¥4,449

-16.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$36.29 ¥5,922

-18.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$56.0 ¥9,141

-6.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$14.15 ¥2,308

30.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$13.96 ¥2,277

-64.68%

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

$202 MX$3,512

$414 ¥67.5K

-51.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$13.2K ¥2.2M

-60.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$42.57 ¥6,948

-15.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.63 ¥4,835

36.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$67.1 ¥10.9K

19.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$60.4 ¥9,853

47.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$466 ¥76.1K

103.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,098

$324 ¥52.8K

43.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$863 ¥140.8K

88.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$655 ¥106.9K

82.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.5K

$4,192 ¥684.0K

-6.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$2,283 ¥372.5K

181.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

1.67

583.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Yamaguchi: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $466 in Yamaguchi. 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 $34.00 in Yamaguchi. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $296 in Yamaguchi – 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 Yamaguchi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yamaguchi is pricier by about 2%, 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 $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,918 in Yamaguchi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,259 in Playa del Carmen and $1,279 in Yamaguchi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 116% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,259, than in Yamaguchi at $1,279. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yamaguchi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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