Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tacuarembo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacuarembo: $763 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Tacuarembo, Uruguay
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Tacuarembo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$763
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Tacuarembo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Tacuarembo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $763 in Tacuarembo, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Tacuarembo $763

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,082 in Tacuarembo, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Tacuarembo $1,082

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,400 in Tacuarembo, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Tacuarembo $1,400

Playa del Carmen costs about 58% more than Tacuarembo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tacuarembo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Tacuarembo 44% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Tacuarembo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$200
$17.17 UYU 690
-37.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$819
$30.04 UYU 1,208
45.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$220
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.8
$2.01 UYU 80.9
88.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.26
$0.98 UYU 39.39
32.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.59
$0.74 UYU 29.58
12.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.9
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.3
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Tacuarembo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$1.33 UYU 53.3
6.02%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$41.07
$1.39 UYU 56.0
58.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.54
-
-
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.70
$3.14 UYU 126
-20.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$10.22 UYU 411
-28.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$149
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$241
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$54.2
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.87
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.59
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.97
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.88
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.60
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.41
$1.22 UYU 49.14
-6.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.17
$1.08 UYU 43.51
14.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.9
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$184
$3.64 UYU 146
169.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.66
$1.71 UYU 68.8
-7.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.3
$2.08 UYU 83.7
32.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Tacuarembo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.63
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$512
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$89.1
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.8
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$101
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.58
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$396.8K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$435.1K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Tacuarembo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,562
$297 UYU 12.0K
-71.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$434
$14.87 UYU 598
55.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$516
$45.07 UYU 1,813
-38.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Tacuarembo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,056
$36.84 UYU 1,481
53.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$527
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.5
$9.82 UYU 395
-49.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Tacuarembo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,873
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Tacuarembo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$813
$30.34 UYU 1,220
43.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$796
$19.87 UYU 799
114.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,361
$49.30 UYU 1,983
47.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,653
$62.6 UYU 2,518
41.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Tacuarembo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.6K
$301 UYU 12.1K
230.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,152
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$73.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Tacuarembo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.6K
$855 UYU 34.4K
-2.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
0
-

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tacuarembo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Tacuarembo
–
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Tacuarembo
–
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Tacuarembo
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Tacuarembo
–
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Tacuarembo
–
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Tacuarembo
–
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Tacuarembo
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $301 in Tacuarembo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Tacuarembo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $30 in Tacuarembo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $108 – making Tacuarembo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇺🇾 Tacuarembo
🕒 Local time
14:13 2:13 PM
16:13 4:13 PM
2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
54,757
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 40.22 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.17 UYU (100 UYU = 2.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Tacuarembo 6,700 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Tacuarembo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tacuarembo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tacuarembo cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,145 in Tacuarembo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tacuarembo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $301 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Tacuarembo?
Groceries cost about 138% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Tacuarembo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen and $30 in Tacuarembo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Tacuarembo?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Tacuarembo, where all-in costs run around $763, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Tacuarembo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Tacuarembo?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $763 in Tacuarembo to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?