Cost of Living Comparison Between Ongata Rongai and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Ongata Rongai and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $534 in Ongata Rongai versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $840 in Ongata Rongai versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,147 in Ongata Rongai versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ongata Rongai costs roughly 58% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ongata Rongai 60% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.31 KES 688

$11.87 MX$204

-55.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.98 KES 2,461

$42.90 MX$736

-55.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 KES 908

$10.65 MX$183

-34.27%

Cappuccino

$1.96 KES 254

$3.45 MX$59.2

-43.19%

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

$0.30 KES 38.63

$1.50 MX$25.81

-80.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 KES 52.8

$0.95 MX$16.28

-56.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 KES 308

$3.03 MX$51.9

-21.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$4.61 MX$79.1

-35.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 KES 70.7

$1.38 MX$23.61

-60.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 KES 63.9

$1.85 MX$31.70

-73.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 KES 167

$1.61 MX$27.65

-20.50%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 177

$2.59 MX$44.51

-47.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.18 KES 542

$8.26 MX$142

-49.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 KES 463

$8.37 MX$144

-57.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.54 KES 459

$10.66 MX$183

-66.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 KES 163

$2.63 MX$45.12

-52.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$1.49 MX$25.53

-30.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 KES 154

$1.92 MX$32.94

-38.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 KES 83.4

$2.09 MX$35.81

-69.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 KES 97.2

$1.86 MX$31.88

-59.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 KES 62.5

$2.26 MX$38.81

-78.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 KES 82.8

$1.06 MX$18.23

-39.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.4

$1.09 MX$18.67

-55.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 KES 298

$4.15 MX$71.2

-44.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.31 KES 1,207

$10.39 MX$178

-10.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 KES 296

$1.72 MX$29.59

32.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 KES 347

$2.61 MX$44.85

2.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 203

$3.13 MX$53.7

-49.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 KES 176

$2.51 MX$43.09

-45.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 KES 373

$3.15 MX$54.1

-8.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 KES 206

$1.27 MX$21.88

25.20%

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

$21.4K KES 2.8M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-29.64%

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

$19.9K KES 2.6M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-15.36%

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

$34.17 KES 4,430

$83.0 MX$1,425

-58.83%

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

$16.85 KES 2,185

$22.71 MX$390

-25.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.20 KES 5,082

$29.46 MX$506

33.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$6.11 KES 792

$4.93 MX$84.5

23.94%

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

$204 KES 26.4K

$197 MX$3,386

3.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,009 KES 1.0M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

51.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.31 KES 2,374

$36.90 MX$633

-50.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.90 KES 3,099

$39.89 MX$685

-40.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 KES 8,350

$80.0 MX$1,373

-19.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.6 KES 7,463

$89.5 MX$1,536

-35.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 KES 20.3K

$956 MX$16.4K

-83.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 14.9K

$477 MX$8,189

-75.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-86.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 KES 30.4K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-80.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

11.42

29.95%

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

Last update for Ongata Rongai: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $156 in Ongata Rongai and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Ongata Rongai vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $129 vs $250 per month, with Ongata Rongai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Ongata Rongai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 138% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $800 in Ongata Rongai and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $156 in Ongata Rongai versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $204 in Ongata Rongai versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ongata Rongai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $534 in Ongata Rongai versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ongata Rongai but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ongata Rongai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ongata Rongai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Ongata Rongai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.