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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $928 in Ungheni, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,683 in Ungheni, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,439 in Ungheni, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 35% more than Ungheni, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ungheni are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Ungheni 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$7.39 MDL 129

62.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$30.66 MDL 534

36.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.99 MDL 104

79.47%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.50 MDL 26.12

133.33%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.70 MDL 12.20

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.43 MDL 7.41

104.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.42 MDL 24.70

107.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.49 MDL 26.00

202.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.25 MDL 21.72

14.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.45 MDL 7.88

308.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.00 MDL 17.39

57.00%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.28 MDL 39.64

10.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$7.70 MDL 134

7.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.03 MDL 70.2

109.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$6.84 MDL 119

56.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$0.55 MDL 9.51

374.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.49 MDL 25.91

-3.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.68 MDL 29.28

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.28 MDL 22.31

63.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.55 MDL 9.55

236.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.34 MDL 5.87

538.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.35 MDL 23.58

-23.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.52 MDL 9.03

105.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.05 MDL 53.1

34.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$4.34 MDL 75.6

134.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.19 MDL 20.69

41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.29 MDL 22.39

96.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.37 MDL 6.39

37.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.73 MDL 30.14

86.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.27 MDL 4.74

792.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.45 MDL 77.5

-27.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.28 MDL 22.20

3.13%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$32.2K MDL 560.2K

-7.69%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$31.0K MDL 539.2K

-23.59%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$162 MDL 2,827

-49.48%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$7.51 MDL 131

205.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.77 MDL 188

179.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$20.57 MDL 358

152.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.15 MDL 72.3

20.00%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$397 MDL 6,921

-50.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$7,518 MDL 130.9K

-29.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$44.37 MDL 773

-19.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$21.61 MDL 376

86.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$40.25 MDL 701

95.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$110 MDL 1,913

-19.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$963 MDL 16.8K

-1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$365 MDL 6,351

29.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,508 MDL 26.3K

8.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$1,280 MDL 22.3K

-5.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,307 MDL 40.2K

75.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,693 MDL 29.5K

282.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

42.75%

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 Ungheni: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $963 in Ungheni. 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 $31.00 in Ungheni. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $150 – making Ungheni 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 Ungheni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 35%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,392 in Ungheni. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ungheni, 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 $928 in Ungheni. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $397 in Ungheni. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ungheni, where all-in costs run around $928, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Ungheni it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ungheni – 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 Ungheni. 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.