Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lugazi and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Lugazi: $389 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Lugazi
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Lugazi Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Lugazi

🇺🇬 Uganda

$389

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $389 per month in Lugazi vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lugazi $389
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $614 per month in Lugazi vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lugazi $614
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $838 per month in Lugazi vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lugazi $838
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Lugazi is about 68% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lugazi and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Lugazi 71% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.40 UGX 10.1K

$10.67 MX$199

-77.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.97 UGX 96.9K

$43.80 MX$815

-47.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 UGX 29.8K

$11.79 MX$219

-39.95%

Cappuccino

$2.39 UGX 10.1K

$3.79 MX$70.5

-36.94%

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

$0.33 UGX 1,409

$1.30 MX$24.14

-74.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 1,010

$0.83 MX$15.51

-71.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 UGX 4,795

$3.15 MX$58.6

-63.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 UGX 7,479

$4.93 MX$91.8

-64.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 UGX 3,365

$1.41 MX$26.22

-43.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 UGX 3,338

$2.20 MX$40.86

-64.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,214

$1.47 MX$27.40

-15.65%

Eggs

$1.35 UGX 5,703

$2.50 MX$46.46

-46.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.04 UGX 17.0K

$7.29 MX$136

-44.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 UGX 17.6K

$7.95 MX$148

-47.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.52 UGX 19.1K

$12.86 MX$239

-64.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 UGX 8,374

$2.90 MX$53.9

-31.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 UGX 5,651

$1.38 MX$25.74

-2.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,266

$2.49 MX$46.35

-49.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 UGX 5,201

$2.03 MX$37.77

-39.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 UGX 4,787

$2.02 MX$37.68

-44.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,276

$1.90 MX$35.42

-34.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 UGX 2,958

$1.14 MX$21.30

-38.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,093

$1.24 MX$23.05

-59.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 UGX 10.0K

$4.27 MX$79.5

-44.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.05 UGX 29.7K

$9.81 MX$183

-28.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 UGX 4,278

$1.59 MX$29.51

-36.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 UGX 7,725

$2.75 MX$51.1

-33.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 UGX 1,921

$4.76 MX$88.6

-90.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 UGX 1,278

$3.25 MX$60.5

-90.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 UGX 12.1K

$5.39 MX$100

-46.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 UGX 5,757

$1.53 MX$28.44

-10.46%

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

$6,887 UGX 29.0M

$21.2K MX$394.8K

-67.54%

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

$7,149 UGX 30.2M

$23.3K MX$432.9K

-69.27%

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

$65.4 UGX 275.9K

$83.5 MX$1,554

-21.64%

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

$11.16 UGX 47.1K

$23.19 MX$431

-51.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.67 UGX 137.8K

$27.61 MX$514

18.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 UGX 28.9K

$5.00 MX$93.1

37.00%

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

$268 UGX 1.1M

$207 MX$3,854

29.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K UGX 68.3M

$5,231 MX$97.3K

209.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.05 UGX 55.0K

$43.45 MX$809

-69.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.49 UGX 52.7K

$42.54 MX$792

-70.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.97 UGX 130.6K

$72.8 MX$1,354

-57.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.40 UGX 174.6K

$88.4 MX$1,645

-53.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

11.45

81.22%

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

Last update for Lugazi: October 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lugazi

$139 35.8%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 84.7% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lugazi

$109 28.1%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 22.9% $25

Eating Out

Lugazi

$81 20.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 148% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Lugazi

$44 11.3%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 152% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Lugazi

$14 * 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 385% $53

Getting Around

Lugazi

$2 * 0.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 2461% $48

Accommodation & Living

Lugazi

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Lugazi versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $139 vs $257 – making Lugazi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Lugazi

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

04:50 4:50 AM

8 h behind Lugazi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,400

149,923

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4,217 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD). 1 EUR = 4,739 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lugazi Playa del Carmen 13,090 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Lugazi
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 209% more than Lugazi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $583 per month in Lugazi and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Lugazi and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 85% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Lugazi, where all-in costs run around $389, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Lugazi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $389 in Lugazi to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.