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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,004 in Uitenhage, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,559 in Uitenhage, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,114 in Uitenhage, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 29% more than Uitenhage, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Uitenhage are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Uitenhage 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$8.74 R 141

34.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$33.50 R 542

24.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$5.01 R 81.1

107.78%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.08 R 33.67

73.56%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.98 R 15.93

48.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.82 R 13.29

18.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.29 R 37.04

27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.56 R 41.46

80.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.16 R 18.76

23.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.04 R 16.86

82.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.64 R 26.52

-4.27%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.49 R 40.31

6.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$7.89 R 128

6.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$4.48 R 72.5

91.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$6.57 R 106

67.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$1.62 R 26.19

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.54 R 24.95

-1.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.48 R 23.92

29.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.64 R 26.61

32.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.33 R 21.48

40.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.19 R 19.27

87.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.05 R 16.94

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.93 R 15.02

15.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$2.88 R 46.55

44.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$3.74 R 60.6

175.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.32 R 21.36

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$1.71 R 27.62

47.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$1.60 R 25.92

-65.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$1.15 R 18.67

178.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.96 R 15.55

156.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$3.98 R 64.5

-19.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.24 R 20.12

6.45%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$20.9K R 338.7K

44.09%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$23.6K R 381.5K

-0.73%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$116 R 1,885

-30.15%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$35.21 R 570

-36.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$42.17 R 683

-28.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$30.95 R 501

66.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$6.91 R 112

-25.33%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$200 R 3,239

0.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$4,305 R 69.7K

23.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$50.1 R 811

-28.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$31.73 R 514

27.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$89.8 R 1,454

-12.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$79.2 R 1,281

9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$370 R 5,983

157.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$335 R 5,419

42.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$695 R 11.2K

133.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$682 R 11.0K

79.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$919 R 14.9K

336.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$711 R 11.5K

810.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.51

-0.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Uitenhage: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $370 in Uitenhage. 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 $33.00 in Uitenhage. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $175 – making Uitenhage the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Uitenhage: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 29%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,506 in Uitenhage. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Uitenhage, 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 $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $1,004 in Uitenhage. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $200 in Uitenhage. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Uitenhage, where all-in costs run around $1,004, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. In Uitenhage it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Uitenhage. 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.