Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ube Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ube

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,245 in Ube, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,932 in Ube, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,620 in Ube, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 2% more than Ube, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ube are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Ube 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.11 ¥1,115

63.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$34.40 ¥5,395

36.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.47 ¥858

117.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.10 ¥487

28.39%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.13 ¥178

26.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.81 ¥127

1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.11 ¥331

51.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.20 ¥501

112.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.59 ¥250

5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.58 ¥248

39.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$4.64 ¥728

-63.15%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.27 ¥355

20.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.17 ¥1,596

-5.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.22 ¥975

44.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$15.72 ¥2,465

-18.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$5.43 ¥851

-46.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$2.64 ¥415

-43.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$4.14 ¥649

-48.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$4.49 ¥704

-49.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$3.18 ¥499

-37.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$2.69 ¥423

-26.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.37 ¥215

-10.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.82 ¥129

46.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$4.09 ¥642

11.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.63 ¥1,041

56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.98 ¥311

-18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.32 ¥364

24.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$1.64 ¥257

-63.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$55.1 ¥8,636

-47.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$3.43 ¥539

57.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$2.97 ¥465

25.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$20.86 ¥3,272

-72.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.18 ¥185

30.51%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$22.9K ¥3.6M

-1.57%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$17.1K ¥2.7M

52.60%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$142 ¥22.2K

-35.46%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$26.74 ¥4,194

-5.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$34.18 ¥5,362

-8.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$58.9 ¥9,236

14.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$13.82 ¥2,167

110.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$13.00 ¥2,040

-62.62%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$276 ¥43.4K

-19.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$13.4K ¥2.1M

-68.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$43.78 ¥6,868

7.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$29.07 ¥4,560

52.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$61.2 ¥9,601

30.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$92.6 ¥14.5K

0.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$471 ¥73.9K

125.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$328 ¥51.4K

19.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$859 ¥134.8K

150.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$647 ¥101.5K

96.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,798 ¥438.8K

43.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,801 ¥282.5K

261.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.81

532.60%

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 Ube: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $471 in Ube. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Ube. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $308 in Ube – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Ube: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 2%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,867 in Ube. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ube, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,245 in Ube. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 91% less in Ube. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ube, where all-in costs run around $1,245, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Ube it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ube – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ube. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.