Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Les Ulis Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Les Ulis

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,862 in Les Ulis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,844 in Les Ulis, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,826 in Les Ulis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 32% cheaper than Les Ulis, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Les Ulis is 39% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$15.74 €13.43

-25.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$68.8 €58.7

-39.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$10.34 €8.82

0.58%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.64 €3.10

-0.82%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$3.54 €3.02

-58.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$3.41 €2.91

-73.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$8.00 €6.82

-62.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$5.83 €4.97

-23.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$0.83 €0.71

66.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$2.03 €1.73

-9.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.01 €0.86

59.41%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$5.21 €4.44

-50.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$13.86 €11.82

-38.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$14.10 €12.02

-39.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$13.50 €11.52

-18.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.34 €2.00

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.81 €1.54

-17.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$3.51 €2.99

-44.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$3.76 €3.21

-43.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$2.61 €2.22

-28.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.98 €1.69

9.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.89 €1.61

-43.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.42 €0.36

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$11.74 €10.01

-64.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$9.62 €8.21

6.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$2.79 €2.38

-40.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$4.19 €3.58

-40.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.92 €1.64

-71.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$48.97 €41.77

-46.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$4.67 €3.99

-33.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$2.07 €1.77

18.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$55.9 €47.69

-94.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$2.15 €1.83

-41.40%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$35.9K €30.6K

-15.94%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$36.4K €31.0K

-35.54%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$251 €214

-66.50%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$16.65 €14.21

33.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$36.48 €31.12

-18.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$37.70 €32.16

39.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$18.36 €15.66

-0.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$15.58 €13.29

-68.23%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$877 €748

-77.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$8,608 €7,342

-38.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$113 €96.6

-68.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$48.00 €40.95

-16.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$124 €105

-36.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$161 €137

-46.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$778 €664

25.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$614 €524

-23.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$1,401 €1,195

13.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$1,072 €914

13.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$4,391 €3,745

-8.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$2,938 €2,506

123.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.55

221.69%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Les Ulis: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $778 in Les Ulis. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Playa del Carmen versus $69 in Les Ulis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $328 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Les Ulis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, $1,862 in Les Ulis – roughly 48% apart. Les Ulis costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,794 in Les Ulis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Les Ulis, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $69.0 in Les Ulis. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,261, than in Les Ulis at $1,862. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Les Ulis it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,261 in Playa del Carmen to $1,862 in Les Ulis. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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