Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fort Portal Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fort Portal

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $399 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $655 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $911 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 215% more than Fort Portal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Fort Portal are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Fort Portal 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.80 UGX 10.4K

328.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$26.45 UGX 97.8K

57.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$8.81 UGX 32.6K

22.02%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.81 UGX 10.4K

24.56%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.51 UGX 1,893

184.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.31 UGX 1,162

183.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.42 UGX 5,248

107.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.80 UGX 10.4K

61.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.32 UGX 1,181

346.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.87 UGX 3,208

111.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.10 UGX 4,064

42.73%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.36 UGX 5,027

84.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$4.33 UGX 16.0K

91.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.03 UGX 18.6K

67.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$3.57 UGX 13.2K

199.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.81 UGX 10.4K

-7.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.85 UGX 3,139

69.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.69 UGX 6,241

15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.40 UGX 5,185

49.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.58 UGX 5,856

17.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.67 UGX 2,480

223.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.05 UGX 3,900

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.57 UGX 2,111

87.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.00 UGX 11.1K

36.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$5.36 UGX 19.8K

89.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.85 UGX 3,141

97.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.10 UGX 4,057

130.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.58 UGX 2,143

456.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.26 UGX 952

826.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.10 UGX 15.2K

-21.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.42 UGX 5,258

-7.04%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$9,203 UGX 34.0M

222.67%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$8,770 UGX 32.4M

169.81%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$41.59 UGX 153.8K

97.19%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$14.20 UGX 52.5K

61.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$44.14 UGX 163.3K

-31.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.36 UGX 23.5K

-21.70%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$163 UGX 604.2K

20.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,359 UGX 16.1M

22.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$16.85 UGX 62.3K

111.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$14.33 UGX 53.0K

181.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$39.13 UGX 144.7K

101.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$47.79 UGX 176.8K

86.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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 13, 2026

Last update for Fort Portal: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $26.00 in Fort Portal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $138 – making Fort Portal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Fort Portal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 215% more than Fort Portal, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $599 in Fort Portal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $26.00 in Fort Portal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 81% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fort Portal, where all-in costs run around $399, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Fort Portal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fort Portal costs $399 versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Fort Portal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.