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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $569 in Entebbe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $916 in Entebbe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,263 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 5% lower, Entebbe 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.72 UGX 10.2K

336.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$25.93 UGX 97.2K

65.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.63 UGX 32.4K

23.41%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.77 UGX 10.4K

24.55%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.51 UGX 1,896

194.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.31 UGX 1,166

206.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.43 UGX 5,344

111.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.85 UGX 10.7K

61.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.75 UGX 2,824

84.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.26 UGX 4,732

46.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.40 UGX 5,238

15.00%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.82 UGX 6,832

42.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$4.21 UGX 15.8K

96.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.92 UGX 18.5K

70.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$4.20 UGX 15.7K

153.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.70 UGX 10.1K

-2.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.46 UGX 5,459

2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.68 UGX 6,301

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.60 UGX 5,987

30.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.58 UGX 5,939

17.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.86 UGX 6,989

21.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.03 UGX 3,845

2.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.55 UGX 2,050

98.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.01 UGX 11.3K

37.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.61 UGX 32.3K

20.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.24 UGX 4,630

38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.08 UGX 7,791

25.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.59 UGX 2,193

-8.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.57 UGX 2,149

449.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.28 UGX 1,060

796.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.06 UGX 15.2K

-22.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.35 UGX 5,077

-5.93%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$9,158 UGX 34.3M

231.64%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$8,835 UGX 33.1M

166.74%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$41.91 UGX 157.1K

98.04%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$14.35 UGX 53.8K

58.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$43.03 UGX 161.3K

-31.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.36 UGX 23.9K

-22.48%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$161 UGX 605.2K

22.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,337 UGX 16.3M

21.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$17.28 UGX 64.8K

113.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$14.03 UGX 52.6K

184.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$37.93 UGX 142.1K

110.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$47.54 UGX 178.2K

88.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$248 UGX 927.6K

286.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$139 UGX 520.6K

243.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$418 UGX 1.6M

293.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$275 UGX 1.0M

345.94%

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

$131 UGX 492.7K

407.37%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Entebbe: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $248 in Entebbe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 407% 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 $250 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 ($1,271 vs $569 including rent). Entebbe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 407% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $248 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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $569 in Entebbe – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $569 in Entebbe versus $1,271 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.