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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,219 in Ube, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,916 in Ube, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,613 in Ube, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 3% more than Ube, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ube are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Ube 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.77 ¥1,100

77.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$34.69 ¥5,636

20.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.66 ¥920

89.93%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.17 ¥516

10.41%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.08 ¥176

34.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.82 ¥132

7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.09 ¥340

41.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.07 ¥499

46.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.52 ¥247

-5.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.61 ¥261

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$4.81 ¥782

-67.36%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.23 ¥363

12.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.02 ¥1,628

-17.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.34 ¥1,030

32.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$15.45 ¥2,511

-30.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$5.53 ¥898

-52.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.64 ¥428

-45.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.95 ¥642

-50.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$4.53 ¥736

-53.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$3.29 ¥534

-43.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.65 ¥431

-18.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.33 ¥216

-22.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.83 ¥135

28.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.13 ¥671

-0.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.68 ¥1,085

52.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.94 ¥315

-13.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.32 ¥376

9.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.59 ¥258

-67.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$54.8 ¥8,903

-52.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.52 ¥572

-8.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.99 ¥486

-19.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$20.68 ¥3,360

-84.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.18 ¥192

11.86%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

25.99%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$16.8K ¥2.7M

40.83%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$141 ¥22.9K

-41.85%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$27.30 ¥4,436

-15.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$33.92 ¥5,512

-11.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$57.6 ¥9,358

-9.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$13.61 ¥2,211

36.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$13.42 ¥2,180

-62.89%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$283 ¥46.0K

-30.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-60.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$43.95 ¥7,140

-19.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.09 ¥4,726

38.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$61.1 ¥9,925

28.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$90.5 ¥14.7K

-1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$465 ¥75.5K

103.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$328 ¥53.3K

44.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$863 ¥140.3K

90.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$655 ¥106.4K

84.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,756 ¥447.7K

47.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,119 ¥344.2K

205.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

1.81

530.94%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ube: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $465 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $35.00 in Ube. Groceries tell a different story – $249 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 3%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,829 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $1,219 in Ube. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 110% 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 $1,219, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.