Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tsu and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,287 in Tsu, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tsu
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Tsu Living Index
58

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

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Tsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,287

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tsu 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 Tsu and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Tsu vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tsu $1,287
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Tsu vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tsu $1,999
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,710 per month in Tsu vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tsu $2,710
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Tsu costs about 7% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tsu and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Tsu 5% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ¥982

$10.92 MX$205

-43.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.49 ¥2,763

$43.37 MX$813

-59.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.91 ¥617

$11.78 MX$221

-66.81%

Cappuccino

$2.34 ¥369

$3.81 MX$71.4

-38.58%

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

$1.14 ¥181

$1.28 MX$24.03

-10.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥90.9

$0.78 MX$14.67

-25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 ¥331

$3.17 MX$59.3

-33.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ¥372

$4.93 MX$92.5

-52.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥249

$1.41 MX$26.35

12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥203

$2.22 MX$41.54

-42.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.63 ¥889

$1.42 MX$26.56

296.48%

Eggs

$2.02 ¥319

$2.52 MX$47.27

-19.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 ¥1,984

$7.26 MX$136

73.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.77 ¥1,543

$7.70 MX$144

26.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.52 ¥5,135

$12.69 MX$238

156.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 ¥581

$2.78 MX$52.2

32.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ¥362

$1.37 MX$25.64

67.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 ¥1,012

$2.55 MX$47.80

151.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 ¥659

$2.12 MX$39.78

96.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 ¥607

$1.94 MX$36.32

97.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 ¥548

$1.89 MX$35.34

83.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.15 MX$21.49

13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥163

$1.18 MX$22.09

-12.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 ¥558

$4.30 MX$80.5

-17.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ¥1,322

$9.95 MX$186

-15.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥323

$1.58 MX$29.67

29.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ¥233

$2.67 MX$50.1

-44.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥234

$0.55 MX$10.37

169.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.5 ¥8,926

$26.62 MX$499

112.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 ¥509

$4.97 MX$93.1

-35.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 ¥509

$3.33 MX$62.4

-3.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.97 ¥4,259

$5.36 MX$100

403.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ¥164

$1.44 MX$27.06

-27.78%

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

$19.0K ¥3.0M

$20.7K MX$387.3K

-8.10%

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

$16.7K ¥2.6M

$23.5K MX$439.7K

-28.70%

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

$145 ¥22.8K

$84.8 MX$1,589

70.56%

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

$24.21 ¥3,824

$23.41 MX$439

3.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.47 ¥6,866

$28.66 MX$537

51.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 ¥8,107

$57.1 MX$1,069

-10.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.93 ¥2,042

$28.91 MX$542

-55.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ¥1,317

$5.14 MX$96.3

62.26%

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

$322 ¥50.8K

$207 MX$3,871

55.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,217 ¥981.8K

$3,927 MX$73.6K

58.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.15 ¥7,762

$43.35 MX$812

13.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.83 ¥4,079

$41.44 MX$777

-37.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.87 ¥7,403

$74.2 MX$1,390

-36.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$89.3 MX$1,672

-26.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 ¥85.9K

$980 MX$18.4K

-44.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ¥53.9K

$381 MX$7,136

-10.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 ¥161.2K

$1,708 MX$32.0K

-40.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ¥116.6K

$1,075 MX$20.1K

-31.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,287 ¥677.0K

$3,943 MX$73.9K

8.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,268 ¥358.3K

$6,158 MX$115.4K

-63.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,511 ¥238.6K

$735 MX$13.8K

105.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

11.45

-83.41%

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

Last update for Tsu: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tsu

$388 30.1%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 34.3% $133

Accommodation & Living

Tsu

$342 26.5%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 11.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tsu

$212 16.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 35.5% $75

Eating Out

Tsu

$112 8.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 81.4% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Tsu

$84 6.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 32.6% $27

Getting Around

Tsu

$82 6.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 38.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Tsu

$68 5.3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 1% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $544 in Tsu versus $980 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 in Tsu are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Tsu versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $388 in Tsu vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tsu

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:49 1:49 AM

11:49 11:49 AM

14 h behind Tsu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

279,241

149,923

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tsu Playa del Carmen 12,330 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Tsu
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

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

Yes – Tsu is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,931 per month in Tsu and $1,806 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 Tsu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $544 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Tsu and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 6% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 53% 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 $1,287 in Tsu and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,287 in Tsu. 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, Tsu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.