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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,006 in Upington, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,576 in Upington, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,146 in Upington, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 25% more than Upington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Upington are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Upington 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$11.14 R 183

4.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$34.12 R 562

22.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$4.73 R 77.9

119.87%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.56 R 25.63

131.41%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$0.98 R 16.17

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.67 R 11.02

35.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.54 R 25.40

96.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.58 R 42.52

73.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$0.88 R 14.49

56.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$1.11 R 18.22

65.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.59 R 26.17

1.26%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.41 R 39.71

6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.52 R 124

12.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$4.51 R 74.3

88.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$6.88 R 113

59.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$1.59 R 26.24

71.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.46 R 23.97

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.47 R 24.26

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.59 R 26.11

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.33 R 21.89

39.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.23 R 20.28

76.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.05 R 17.27

1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.90 R 14.76

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.50 R 41.13

67.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$3.76 R 61.9

173.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.39 R 22.85

20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$1.69 R 27.88

47.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.61 R 26.50

-66.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.14 R 18.85

171.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.93 R 15.34

164.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$3.96 R 65.2

-18.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.24 R 20.37

1.61%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$21.2K R 349.1K

42.33%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$23.7K R 390.5K

-1.11%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$120 R 1,983

-30.25%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$35.74 R 589

-37.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$40.99 R 675

-27.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$31.12 R 513

69.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$6.74 R 111

-26.56%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$201 R 3,303

-1.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$4,263 R 70.2K

24.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$50.0 R 824

-28.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$31.69 R 522

26.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$87.7 R 1,445

-10.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$78.4 R 1,292

10.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$365 R 6,014

167.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$331 R 5,452

42.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$561 R 9,248

184.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$699 R 11.5K

73.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$751 R 12.4K

437.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$688 R 11.3K

855.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$779 R 12.8K

-8.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.38

0.35%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Upington: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $365 in Upington. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Upington, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Playa del Carmen versus $34 in Upington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $171 – making Upington 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 Upington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 25%, 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 $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,510 in Upington. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Upington, 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 $1,261 in Playa del Carmen and $1,006 in Upington. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $201 in Upington. 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 Upington, where all-in costs run around $1,006, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In Upington it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Upington – 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 Upington. 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.