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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $575 in Entebbe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $913 in Entebbe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,250 in Entebbe.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 119% more expensive than in Entebbe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Entebbe 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$2.82 UGX 10.6K

315.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$25.96 UGX 97.4K

61.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$8.58 UGX 32.2K

22.49%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.81 UGX 10.5K

27.76%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.47 UGX 1,755

221.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.31 UGX 1,177

196.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$1.42 UGX 5,337

108.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.76 UGX 10.4K

59.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$0.75 UGX 2,812

86.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.25 UGX 4,707

50.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.37 UGX 5,157

13.87%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.82 UGX 6,823

43.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$4.39 UGX 16.5K

89.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$5.12 UGX 19.2K

63.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$4.27 UGX 16.0K

154.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$2.78 UGX 10.4K

-2.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.53 UGX 5,756

-1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.67 UGX 6,254

11.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$1.54 UGX 5,795

42.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.57 UGX 5,898

18.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.86 UGX 6,976

19.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.07 UGX 4,005

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.54 UGX 2,008

101.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$2.85 UGX 10.7K

47.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$8.21 UGX 30.8K

27.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.25 UGX 4,673

32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.10 UGX 7,892

24.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.58 UGX 2,173

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$0.55 UGX 2,062

460.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.26 UGX 971

823.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$4.05 UGX 15.2K

-22.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.40 UGX 5,265

-6.43%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$9,121 UGX 34.2M

226.79%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$8,804 UGX 33.0M

164.89%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$41.40 UGX 155.3K

96.33%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$14.39 UGX 54.0K

56.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$44.60 UGX 167.4K

-32.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$6.09 UGX 22.9K

-19.21%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$160 UGX 601.0K

25.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$4,339 UGX 16.3M

19.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$16.93 UGX 63.5K

112.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$14.39 UGX 54.0K

178.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$38.75 UGX 145.4K

105.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$47.40 UGX 177.9K

82.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$246 UGX 925.0K

296.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$141 UGX 528.9K

233.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$411 UGX 1.5M

301.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$281 UGX 1.1M

327.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$132 UGX 495.2K

412.75%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Entebbe: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $246 in Entebbe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 413% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Entebbe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $168 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 119% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $575 including rent). Entebbe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 413% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $246 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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $575 in Entebbe – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $575 in Entebbe versus $1,260 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 119% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.