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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,262 in Ube, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,933 in Ube, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,604 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 3% lower, Ube 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.01 ¥1,121

67.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$34.18 ¥5,468

21.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.38 ¥861

97.77%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$3.11 ¥497

13.18%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.14 ¥183

32.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.81 ¥130

19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.14 ¥342

37.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.08 ¥492

44.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.52 ¥243

-9.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.61 ¥257

17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$4.86 ¥777

-66.26%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.21 ¥353

13.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$10.27 ¥1,643

-18.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.41 ¥1,026

30.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$15.66 ¥2,504

-31.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$5.40 ¥864

-51.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$2.68 ¥428

-45.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$4.04 ¥646

-52.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$4.44 ¥711

-53.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$3.19 ¥510

-44.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$2.64 ¥423

-17.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.39 ¥222

-25.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.84 ¥134

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.04 ¥646

0.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$6.45 ¥1,032

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.98 ¥317

-13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.37 ¥378

8.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$1.65 ¥265

-69.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$56.4 ¥9,020

-53.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$3.45 ¥551

-5.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$2.98 ¥476

-16.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$21.14 ¥3,381

-84.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.19 ¥190

10.08%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$23.4K ¥3.7M

29.52%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$16.8K ¥2.7M

39.11%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$138 ¥22.1K

-39.98%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$27.00 ¥4,318

-17.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$34.14 ¥5,460

-14.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$56.8 ¥9,077

-9.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$13.70 ¥2,191

33.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$13.31 ¥2,130

-61.91%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$282 ¥45.1K

-28.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$13.6K ¥2.2M

-61.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$43.38 ¥6,938

-14.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$30.04 ¥4,805

32.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$59.1 ¥9,460

32.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$90.4 ¥14.5K

-3.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$465 ¥74.4K

109.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$335 ¥53.5K

39.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$865 ¥138.3K

89.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$660 ¥105.5K

85.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$2,863 ¥457.9K

37.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,828 ¥292.4K

255.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ube: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 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 $34.00 in Ube. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $309 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,893 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $1,262 in Ube. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 113% 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 $1,262, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.