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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $688 in Ungheni, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,075 in Ungheni, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,462 in Ungheni, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 90% more than Ungheni, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ungheni are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ungheni 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$7.79 MDL 134

53.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$23.12 MDL 397

104.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.03 MDL 121

67.14%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.49 MDL 25.56

176.51%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.74 MDL 12.75

89.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.45 MDL 7.74

102.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.02 MDL 17.59

214.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.42 MDL 24.36

397.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.70 MDL 29.20

-1.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.34 MDL 5.79

532.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$0.87 MDL 14.93

103.45%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.05 MDL 35.21

37.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.31 MDL 177

-10.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.12 MDL 70.7

124.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.01 MDL 155

40.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$0.48 MDL 8.32

514.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.30 MDL 22.31

21.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.09 MDL 18.76

103.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.20 MDL 20.56

96.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.48 MDL 8.25

314.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.37 MDL 6.28

435.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$2.38 MDL 40.90

-47.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.79 MDL 13.58

53.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.55 MDL 60.9

29.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$4.34 MDL 74.4

142.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.48 MDL 25.40

14.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.79 MDL 30.66

54.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.34 MDL 5.82

76.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.80 MDL 30.89

191.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.39 MDL 6.77

835.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$3.69 MDL 63.4

56.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.47 MDL 25.25

4.76%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$21.5K MDL 369.4K

19.90%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$141 MDL 2,424

-35.82%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$11.58 MDL 199

117.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$16.53 MDL 284

92.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$14.73 MDL 253

367.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.03 MDL 69.1

20.60%

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

$226 MX$3,828

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$49.14 MDL 843

-3.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$17.49 MDL 300

148.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$35.46 MDL 609

126.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$68.8 MDL 1,181

32.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$259 MDL 4,452

318.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$118 MDL 2,029

245.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$349 MDL 5,982

465.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$295 MDL 5,064

334.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,379 MDL 40.8K

70.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,738 MDL 29.8K

285.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

43.12%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ungheni: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $259 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Ungheni. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $172 – 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 90%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,033 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.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $23.00 in Ungheni. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ungheni, where all-in costs run around $688, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.