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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $993 in Uitenhage, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,542 in Uitenhage, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,090 in Uitenhage, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 27% more than Uitenhage, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Uitenhage are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Uitenhage 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$8.39 R 138

39.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$34.08 R 561

22.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.80 R 78.9

118.96%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.05 R 33.83

75.12%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.99 R 16.22

52.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.81 R 13.26

13.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.18 R 35.84

35.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.55 R 41.95

72.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.11 R 18.30

26.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.00 R 16.45

88.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.59 R 26.11

-1.89%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.39 R 39.41

9.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.87 R 130

5.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.51 R 74.2

85.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$6.77 R 111

60.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.61 R 26.43

68.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.52 R 25.08

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.54 R 25.38

21.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.59 R 26.11

37.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.38 R 22.68

34.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.19 R 19.66

87.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.09 R 17.94

-1.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.92 R 15.14

18.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.84 R 46.74

47.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$3.48 R 57.3

199.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.38 R 22.71

20.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.65 R 27.23

58.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.66 R 27.40

-67.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.10 R 18.15

180.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.88 R 14.48

172.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$3.93 R 64.6

-20.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.28 R 21.08

2.34%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$21.0K R 345.0K

42.22%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$23.9K R 393.4K

-2.41%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$116 R 1,913

-30.07%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$35.32 R 582

-36.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$40.88 R 673

-26.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$30.77 R 507

71.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.56 R 108

-25.00%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$200 R 3,292

0.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,348 R 71.6K

19.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$50.9 R 837

-29.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$31.79 R 523

26.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$89.9 R 1,480

-11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$81.3 R 1,338

6.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$360 R 5,928

171.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$328 R 5,394

43.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$678 R 11.2K

143.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$696 R 11.5K

72.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$750 R 12.3K

427.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$620 R 10.2K

966.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Uitenhage: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $360 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 $34.00 in Uitenhage. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $174 – 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 27%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,489 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $993 in Uitenhage. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 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 $993, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.