Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ongata Rongai Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ongata Rongai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $570 in Ongata Rongai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $864 in Ongata Rongai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,158 in Ongata Rongai.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 122% more expensive than in Ongata Rongai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Ongata Rongai 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$4.54 KES 587

155.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$19.19 KES 2,483

145.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$6.00 KES 777

98.00%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.88 KES 243

111.70%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.32 KES 41.82

346.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.41 KES 52.7

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.26 KES 293

41.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.67 KES 346

154.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$0.53 KES 68.9

216.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.50 KES 64.3

340.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.28 KES 166

33.59%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.36 KES 176

101.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$4.12 KES 533

132.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.39 KES 439

165.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$3.52 KES 456

263.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$1.27 KES 165

127.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.03 KES 133

45.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.15 KES 149

86.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$0.64 KES 83.4

253.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.73 KES 94.9

171.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.44 KES 57.2

352.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.69 KES 89.4

78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.44 KES 56.7

172.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$2.34 KES 302

94.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$9.30 KES 1,204

11.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$2.32 KES 300

-30.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.76 KES 357

4.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.58 KES 205

241.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.58 KES 205

136.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$2.86 KES 370

101.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.59 KES 205

-3.14%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

2.80%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$20.3K KES 2.6M

28.26%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$62.1 KES 8,038

47.13%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$15.84 KES 2,050

59.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$36.52 KES 4,726

-14.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$7.69 KES 995

-36.80%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$247 KES 32.0K

-9.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$11.6K KES 1.5M

-63.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$27.63 KES 3,575

70.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$28.32 KES 3,664

56.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$70.6 KES 9,136

13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$58.9 KES 7,626

57.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$156 KES 20.2K

579.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$117 KES 15.2K

233.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$231 KES 29.8K

832.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$231 KES 29.9K

450.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.71

-22.16%

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 Ongata Rongai: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $156 in Ongata Rongai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in Ongata Rongai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $128 per month, with Ongata Rongai 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 Ongata Rongai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ongata Rongai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 122% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $855 in Ongata Rongai 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $156 in Ongata Rongai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $247 in Ongata Rongai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ongata Rongai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $570 in Ongata Rongai versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ongata Rongai but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ongata Rongai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ongata Rongai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Ongata Rongai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.