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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,508 in Umag, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,303 in Umag, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,098 in Umag, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 17% cheaper than Umag, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Umag is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$11.68 €10.22

2.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$69.1 €60.4

-39.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$9.22 €8.07

16.59%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.25 €1.97

55.56%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$3.13 €2.74

-53.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$2.32 €2.03

-62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$3.77 €3.30

-21.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$4.67 €4.09

-3.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.34 €1.17

6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.89 €1.65

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$2.73 €2.39

-42.49%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$3.76 €3.29

-33.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$10.95 €9.58

-24.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$9.85 €8.62

-14.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$12.92 €11.31

-17.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.85 €1.62

41.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.67 €1.46

-13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$2.04 €1.79

-3.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$3.10 €2.71

-32.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.37 €1.20

35.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.46 €1.28

48.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.30 €1.14

-20.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$1.28 €1.12

-16.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$5.93 €5.19

-30.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.99 €7.86

13.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.84 €1.61

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.24 €1.96

12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$1.78 €1.56

-71.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$43.66 €38.20

-40.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$2.34 €2.04

38.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.07 €0.93

125.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$10.33 €9.04

-68.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.80 €1.57

-26.67%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$34.7K €30.4K

-14.50%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$26.8K €23.4K

-11.66%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$211 €185

-61.11%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$19.60 €17.15

17.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$32.88 €28.76

-8.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$52.8 €46.19

-1.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$14.85 €12.99

24.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$8.67 €7.59

-42.56%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$240 €210

-17.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$13.4K €11.7K

-60.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$102 €89.3

-65.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$39.49 €34.55

2.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$98.4 €86.1

-19.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$117 €102

-23.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$672 €588

40.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$472 €413

0.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$1,052 €920

56.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$770 €674

57.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$3,485 €3,049

16.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$3,519 €3,079

83.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.72

206.99%

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 Umag: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $672 in Umag. 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 $69.0 in Umag. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $281 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Umag: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Umag is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. 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 $2,262 in Umag. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,508 in Umag. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Umag at $1,508. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Umag it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Umag makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.