Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kasese

For one person, living is cheaper in Kasese: $186 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Kasese

🇺🇬 Uganda

$186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Kasese

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Kasese actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $186 in Kasese, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Kasese $186

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $298 in Kasese, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Kasese $298

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $410 in Kasese, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Kasese $410

Playa del Carmen costs about 548% more than Kasese, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kasese are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Kasese 86% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$1.67 UGX 6,865

550.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.48 UGX 10.2K

48.39%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.37 UGX 1,534

262.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.23 UGX 938

256.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$0.75 UGX 3,093

308.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$0.99 UGX 4,067

124.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$0.80 UGX 3,301

85.00%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.63 UGX 10.8K

-5.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$4.72 UGX 19.4K

68.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$3.72 UGX 15.3K

237.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$2.39 UGX 9,851

16.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$0.50 UGX 2,057

328.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.49 UGX 2,032

312.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$0.50 UGX 2,055

298.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.46 UGX 1,900

160.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$3.53 UGX 14.5K

183.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

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

$23.46 MX$434

$12.07 UGX 49.6K

94.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$23.74 UGX 97.6K

161.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$12.05 UGX 49.6K

268.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$16.55 UGX 68.1K

441.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$362 UGX 1.5M

991.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Kasese: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Kasese

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Kasese

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Kasese

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Kasese

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Kasese

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Kasese

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Kasese

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇬 Kasese

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

23:30 11:30 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

101,679

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,624 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Kasese 12,810 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Kasese

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kasese: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 548%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $279 in Kasese. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $186 in Kasese. That's a gap of about 548%.

Groceries cost about 194% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kasese, where all-in costs run around $186, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Kasese it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kasese – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Kasese. 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.