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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $543 in Ongata Rongai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $846 in Ongata Rongai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,149 in Ongata Rongai.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 132% more expensive than in Ongata Rongai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ongata Rongai 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$5.37 KES 695

118.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$19.50 KES 2,520

114.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$6.96 KES 900

51.01%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$1.95 KES 251

84.10%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.30 KES 38.22

403.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.41 KES 52.7

124.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.29 KES 296

29.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.98 KES 386

47.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$0.53 KES 68.8

164.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$0.49 KES 63.4

283.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.34 KES 173

16.42%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.39 KES 179

87.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$4.18 KES 541

99.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$3.51 KES 454

137.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$3.47 KES 448

212.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.21 KES 156

123.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.09 KES 141

38.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.14 KES 148

64.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$0.64 KES 82.4

242.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$0.75 KES 96.3

148.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$0.47 KES 60.9

374.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.68 KES 88.2

57.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.48 KES 61.8

127.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$2.29 KES 296

82.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$9.50 KES 1,229

9.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$2.29 KES 296

-27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.78 KES 359

-6.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$1.57 KES 203

96.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$1.35 KES 175

77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$2.84 KES 368

10.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.53 KES 197

-14.38%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$21.6K KES 2.8M

37.97%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$20.4K KES 2.6M

14.18%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$34.68 KES 4,482

134.37%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$16.82 KES 2,174

34.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$39.13 KES 5,057

-23.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$6.10 KES 788

-19.34%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$201 KES 25.9K

0.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$7,993 KES 1.0M

-35.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$18.51 KES 2,392

94.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$23.77 KES 3,073

68.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$66.7 KES 8,614

19.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$57.4 KES 7,416

50.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$152 KES 19.7K

543.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$115 KES 14.9K

308.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$228 KES 29.4K

625.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$235 KES 30.3K

413.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.84

-23.05%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ongata Rongai: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $152 in Ongata Rongai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in Ongata Rongai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $130 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, Getting Around. The 132% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $815 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $152 in Ongata Rongai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $201 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $543 in Ongata Rongai versus $1,260 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 132% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.