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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $923 in Ungheni, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,666 in Ungheni, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,409 in Ungheni, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 41% more than Ungheni, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ungheni are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Ungheni 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.16 MDL 123

63.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$30.56 MDL 525

36.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.76 MDL 98.9

84.72%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.47 MDL 25.29

139.46%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.71 MDL 12.19

112.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.39 MDL 6.77

148.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.44 MDL 24.66

104.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$1.43 MDL 24.54

211.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.29 MDL 22.13

6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.45 MDL 7.68

320.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.00 MDL 17.18

64.00%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.16 MDL 37.16

16.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$7.55 MDL 130

10.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.98 MDL 68.3

109.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.76 MDL 116

58.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$0.56 MDL 9.53

364.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.50 MDL 25.81

-2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.73 MDL 29.78

9.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.36 MDL 23.28

52.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.54 MDL 9.35

229.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.33 MDL 5.74

563.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.36 MDL 23.28

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.48 MDL 8.18

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.15 MDL 54.1

29.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$4.38 MDL 75.3

135.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.14 MDL 19.65

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.35 MDL 23.21

91.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.34 MDL 5.76

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.71 MDL 29.44

90.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.25 MDL 4.27

896.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$4.49 MDL 77.2

-27.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.24 MDL 21.24

5.65%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$32.6K MDL 559.1K

-7.01%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$30.9K MDL 531.0K

-24.24%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$167 MDL 2,861

-50.27%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$7.73 MDL 133

187.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$10.66 MDL 183

175.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$20.83 MDL 358

147.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$4.03 MDL 69.2

25.81%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$395 MDL 6,778

-49.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$7,623 MDL 130.9K

-31.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$43.67 MDL 750

-15.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$21.84 MDL 375

82.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$39.71 MDL 682

97.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$110 MDL 1,885

-20.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$940 MDL 16.1K

3.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$367 MDL 6,294

27.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,488 MDL 25.5K

10.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$1,247 MDL 21.4K

-2.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$2,361 MDL 40.5K

67.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,752 MDL 30.1K

270.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ungheni: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $940 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 $149 – 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 41%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,384 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $923 in Ungheni. 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 $395 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 $923, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.