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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $429 in Kajansi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $704 in Kajansi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $979 in Kajansi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 200% more expensive than Kajansi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Kajansi 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$2.72 UGX 10.1K

338.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$25.99 UGX 96.4K

64.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$8.48 UGX 31.4K

24.88%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.81 UGX 10.4K

28.83%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.50 UGX 1,867

194.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.31 UGX 1,153

203.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.36 UGX 5,055

127.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.72 UGX 10.1K

63.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.74 UGX 2,756

93.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.20 UGX 4,446

56.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.34 UGX 4,966

21.64%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.84 UGX 6,838

43.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$4.22 UGX 15.7K

94.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.99 UGX 18.5K

66.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$4.33 UGX 16.1K

156.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.77 UGX 10.3K

-4.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.54 UGX 5,718

-2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.73 UGX 6,403

15.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.54 UGX 5,700

35.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.65 UGX 6,136

8.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.92 UGX 7,119

13.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.05 UGX 3,906

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.58 UGX 2,159

79.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.88 UGX 10.7K

37.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$9.23 UGX 34.2K

10.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.22 UGX 4,539

41.80%

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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.58 UGX 2,160

441.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.26 UGX 957

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

$1.43 UGX 5,309

-11.19%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$9,023 UGX 33.5M

242.25%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$8,877 UGX 32.9M

162.66%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$41.47 UGX 153.8K

97.76%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$14.20 UGX 52.6K

58.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$43.57 UGX 161.6K

-31.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.39 UGX 23.7K

-22.22%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$159 UGX 589.2K

24.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,250 UGX 15.8M

24.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$17.09 UGX 63.4K

112.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$13.99 UGX 51.9K

186.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$39.10 UGX 145.0K

104.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$47.33 UGX 175.5K

87.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

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

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 Kajansi: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Kajansi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $169 per month, with Kajansi 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 Kajansi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kajansi wins on cost – living expenses run 200% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kajansi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $644 in Kajansi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% 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 $429 in Kajansi – a 200% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $429 in Kajansi versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kajansi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kajansi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kajansi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $429 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kajansi hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kajansi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.