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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $528 in Ongata Rongai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $837 in Ongata Rongai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,145 in Ongata Rongai.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 144% more expensive than Ongata Rongai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Ongata Rongai 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$5.47 KES 707

118.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$19.55 KES 2,527

118.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$6.92 KES 894

53.03%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.96 KES 253

84.69%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.30 KES 38.52

390.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.38 KES 48.81

147.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.36 KES 304

30.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.95 KES 381

51.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$0.50 KES 64.2

186.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.47 KES 60.2

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.29 KES 167

26.36%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.32 KES 171

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$4.38 KES 566

87.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$3.38 KES 436

145.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$3.53 KES 456

214.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.23 KES 159

115.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.04 KES 135

44.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.17 KES 152

70.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$0.64 KES 82.3

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.79 KES 102

126.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.48 KES 62.1

354.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.69 KES 89.1

56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.48 KES 61.6

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$2.31 KES 298

71.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.32 KES 1,204

9.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.22 KES 287

-22.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.71 KES 350

-7.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.58 KES 204

98.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.35 KES 175

77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$2.96 KES 382

4.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.58 KES 204

-19.62%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$21.3K KES 2.7M

45.13%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$20.3K KES 2.6M

14.68%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$34.74 KES 4,490

136.07%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$16.61 KES 2,147

35.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$39.23 KES 5,069

-24.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$6.11 KES 789

-18.66%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$203 KES 26.2K

-2.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$8,013 KES 1.0M

-34.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$18.27 KES 2,360

98.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$24.24 KES 3,132

65.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$65.5 KES 8,467

21.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$56.4 KES 7,284

57.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$154 KES 19.9K

524.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$116 KES 15.0K

300.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$235 KES 30.3K

580.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$235 KES 30.4K

413.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Ongata Rongai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $154 in Ongata Rongai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in Ongata Rongai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 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, Getting Around. The 144% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $792 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $154 in Ongata Rongai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $203 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 $20.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $528 in Ongata Rongai versus $1,287 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 144% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.