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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $576 in Entebbe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $900 in Entebbe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,224 in Entebbe.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 123% more expensive than Entebbe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Entebbe 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$2.85 UGX 10.6K

318.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$26.27 UGX 97.4K

62.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$8.37 UGX 31.0K

26.52%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.73 UGX 10.1K

32.60%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.51 UGX 1,887

188.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.29 UGX 1,063

224.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.43 UGX 5,299

116.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.73 UGX 10.1K

63.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.70 UGX 2,590

104.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.26 UGX 4,657

49.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.34 UGX 4,965

21.64%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.78 UGX 6,618

48.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$4.41 UGX 16.4K

86.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.95 UGX 18.4K

67.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$4.20 UGX 15.6K

164.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.73 UGX 10.1K

-2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.48 UGX 5,473

1.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.67 UGX 6,180

19.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.54 UGX 5,715

35.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.56 UGX 5,798

14.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.86 UGX 6,885

17.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.01 UGX 3,751

6.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.58 UGX 2,156

79.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.97 UGX 11.0K

33.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$9.12 UGX 33.8K

11.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.20 UGX 4,440

44.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.12 UGX 7,846

17.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.54 UGX 2,004

-3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.59 UGX 2,178

432.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.26 UGX 952

823.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$4.15 UGX 15.4K

-25.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.37 UGX 5,094

-7.30%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$9,207 UGX 34.1M

235.43%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$8,718 UGX 32.3M

167.45%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$41.77 UGX 154.9K

96.34%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$14.11 UGX 52.3K

59.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$44.06 UGX 163.4K

-32.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.35 UGX 23.6K

-21.73%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$164 UGX 607.6K

20.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,363 UGX 16.2M

20.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$17.26 UGX 64.0K

110.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$14.24 UGX 52.8K

181.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$38.41 UGX 142.4K

107.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$46.74 UGX 173.3K

90.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$255 UGX 946.4K

277.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$140 UGX 520.3K

231.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$414 UGX 1.5M

285.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$277 UGX 1.0M

335.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$133 UGX 493.2K

441.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

20.8

-45.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Entebbe: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $255 in Entebbe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 442% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Entebbe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $167 per month, with Entebbe 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Entebbe differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $576 including rent). Entebbe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 442% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $255 in Entebbe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $576 in Entebbe – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $576 in Entebbe versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Entebbe but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Entebbe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Entebbe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.