Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shizuoka and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Shizuoka: $1,138 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shizuoka
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Shizuoka Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Shizuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shizuoka and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Shizuoka vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Shizuoka $1,138
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,789 per month in Shizuoka vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Shizuoka $1,789
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $2,441 per month in Shizuoka vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Shizuoka $2,441
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Shizuoka is about 6% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shizuoka and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Shizuoka 16% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 ¥1,015

$10.76 MX$199

-40.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.81 ¥5,026

$43.03 MX$795

-26.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 ¥802

$11.79 MX$218

-56.91%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ¥468

$3.87 MX$71.4

-23.51%

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

$0.97 ¥152

$1.37 MX$25.29

-29.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥119

$0.84 MX$15.44

-9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥435

$3.10 MX$57.3

-11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ¥605

$5.07 MX$93.6

-24.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥239

$1.44 MX$26.55

4.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ¥198

$2.23 MX$41.23

-43.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 ¥709

$1.47 MX$27.17

205.44%

Eggs

$1.83 ¥289

$2.53 MX$46.71

-27.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 ¥1,123

$7.30 MX$135

-2.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 ¥853

$7.86 MX$145

-31.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.11 ¥2,229

$12.79 MX$236

10.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$2.90 MX$53.6

13.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ¥305

$1.44 MX$26.53

34.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 ¥541

$2.55 MX$47.07

34.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 ¥495

$2.06 MX$38.03

51.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ¥239

$2.00 MX$36.97

-24.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥179

$2.01 MX$37.07

-43.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ¥176

$1.19 MX$22.02

-6.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥135

$1.26 MX$23.23

-31.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 ¥610

$4.40 MX$81.4

-12.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.70 ¥1,375

$9.59 MX$177

-9.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥233

$1.59 MX$29.41

-6.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥512

$2.81 MX$51.9

15.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 ¥283

$0.57 MX$10.47

214.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ¥8,514

$27.82 MX$514

93.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ¥546

$4.98 MX$92.1

-30.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 ¥293

$3.50 MX$64.6

-46.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.01 ¥3,003

$5.40 MX$99.8

252.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ¥165

$1.47 MX$27.08

-29.25%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

3.35%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-36.10%

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

$138 ¥21.8K

$84.2 MX$1,556

63.94%

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

$15.18 ¥2,398

$23.99 MX$443

-36.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.16 ¥4,764

$29.02 MX$536

3.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ¥8,316

$63.0 MX$1,164

-16.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.82 ¥1,709

$29.14 MX$539

-62.87%

Cinema Ticket

$12.21 ¥1,928

$4.94 MX$91.3

147.17%

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

$320 ¥50.5K

$204 MX$3,763

56.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$3,941 MX$72.8K

237.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.49 ¥2,921

$43.60 MX$806

-57.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ¥3,378

$43.12 MX$797

-50.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 ¥9,725

$75.8 MX$1,400

-18.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 ¥14.3K

$88.6 MX$1,637

2.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 ¥52.3K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-67.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ¥52.6K

$374 MX$6,911

-11.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 ¥171.2K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-36.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 ¥115.5K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-33.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,146 ¥655.0K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

5.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,741 ¥275.0K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-71.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,232 ¥352.7K

$754 MX$13.9K

196.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-91.27%

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

Last update for Shizuoka: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shizuoka

$333 29.3%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 12.4% $41

Groceries & Markets

Shizuoka

$254 22.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 1.8% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shizuoka

$183 16.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 25.2% $46

Eating Out

Shizuoka

$131 11.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 55% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Shizuoka

$86 7.6%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 30.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Shizuoka

$77 6.8%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 5.4% $4.2

Getting Around

Shizuoka

$74 6.5%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 28.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $331 in Shizuoka versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 196% higher in Shizuoka, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Shizuoka versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $258 – making Shizuoka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Shizuoka

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:46 9:46 AM

19:46 7:46 PM

14 h behind Shizuoka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,803

149,923

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shizuoka Playa del Carmen 12,190 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Shizuoka
Playa del Carmen

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

Shizuoka vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,706 per month in Shizuoka and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shizuoka, 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 $1,138 in Shizuoka and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 6%.

Public transport costs about 94% less in Shizuoka. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shizuoka, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Shizuoka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shizuoka – 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 Shizuoka. 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.