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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $534 in Ongata Rongai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $840 in Ongata Rongai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,147 in Ongata Rongai.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 138% more expensive than Ongata Rongai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ongata Rongai 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.31 KES 688

123.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$18.98 KES 2,461

126.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.00 KES 908

52.14%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.96 KES 254

76.02%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.30 KES 38.63

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.41 KES 52.8

131.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.37 KES 308

27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.96 KES 384

55.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.55 KES 70.7

150.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.49 KES 63.9

277.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.28 KES 167

25.78%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.36 KES 177

90.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$4.18 KES 542

97.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.57 KES 463

134.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$3.54 KES 459

201.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.26 KES 163

108.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.04 KES 135

43.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.18 KES 154

62.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.64 KES 83.4

226.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.75 KES 97.2

148.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.48 KES 62.5

370.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.64 KES 82.8

65.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.48 KES 62.4

127.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.30 KES 298

80.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.31 KES 1,207

11.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.28 KES 296

-24.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.68 KES 347

-2.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.57 KES 203

99.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.36 KES 176

84.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.88 KES 373

9.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.59 KES 206

-20.13%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.4K KES 2.8M

42.13%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$19.9K KES 2.6M

18.15%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$34.17 KES 4,430

142.90%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$16.85 KES 2,185

34.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$39.20 KES 5,082

-24.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.11 KES 792

-19.31%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$204 KES 26.4K

-3.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,009 KES 1.0M

-34.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$18.31 KES 2,374

101.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$23.90 KES 3,099

66.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$64.4 KES 8,350

24.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$57.6 KES 7,463

55.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$156 KES 20.3K

511.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$115 KES 14.9K

316.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$229 KES 29.7K

619.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$235 KES 30.4K

422.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ongata Rongai: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $156 in Ongata Rongai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in Ongata Rongai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $129 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 138% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $800 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: $956 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 $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $204 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $534 in Ongata Rongai versus $1,271 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 138% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.