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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $406 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $635 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $864 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 212% 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 7% lower, Fort Portal 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.67 UGX 10.5K

334.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$26.03 UGX 102.5K

80.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.81 UGX 30.7K

52.11%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.64 UGX 10.4K

50.76%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.39 UGX 1,538

266.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.28 UGX 1,098

192.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.33 UGX 5,251

139.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.87 UGX 7,346

263.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$0.31 UGX 1,208

441.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.76 UGX 2,990

189.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.08 UGX 4,253

58.33%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.28 UGX 5,043

114.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$4.66 UGX 18.4K

105.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.05 UGX 19.9K

78.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$3.39 UGX 13.4K

277.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.16 UGX 8,520

33.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$0.76 UGX 2,998

97.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.39 UGX 5,485

54.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.28 UGX 5,043

76.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.32 UGX 5,190

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.68 UGX 2,686

192.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.84 UGX 3,308

46.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.51 UGX 2,027

135.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.63 UGX 10.4K

73.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.45 UGX 21.5K

90.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$0.77 UGX 3,052

110.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.04 UGX 4,097

176.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.56 UGX 2,187

862.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.34 UGX 1,341

997.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$3.23 UGX 12.7K

78.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.35 UGX 5,325

14.07%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$7,827 UGX 30.8M

188.10%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$8,091 UGX 31.9M

222.07%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$75.9 UGX 298.9K

20.41%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$12.40 UGX 48.8K

103.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$37.36 UGX 147.1K

-16.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$8.10 UGX 31.9K

-40.00%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$263 UGX 1.0M

-14.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$8,692 UGX 34.2M

-51.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$15.15 UGX 59.6K

210.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$14.11 UGX 55.6K

213.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$34.19 UGX 134.6K

134.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$46.35 UGX 182.5K

99.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

20.75

-44.82%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Fort Portal: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $26.00 in Fort Portal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $129 – 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 212% 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $609 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 $47.00 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 115% 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 $406, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $406 versus $1,266 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.