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 $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,121 in Upington, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,732 in Upington, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,342 in Upington, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 8% more than Upington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Upington are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Upington 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$198

$12.17 R 203

-9.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$811

$35.84 R 597

25.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$216

$5.64 R 93.8

111.35%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$68.8

$1.67 R 27.74

127.54%

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

$1.31 MX$23.71

$1.05 R 17.46

24.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.48

$0.73 R 12.13

17.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$58.0

$1.73 R 28.74

85.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$90.6

$2.75 R 45.73

82.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.36

$0.86 R 14.36

69.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.06

$1.19 R 19.80

95.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.07

$1.63 R 27.13

-11.66%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.50

$2.17 R 36.19

13.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$139

$8.52 R 142

-9.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$143

$4.83 R 80.3

63.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$231

$6.36 R 106

101.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$52.7

$1.89 R 31.45

54.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.70

$1.53 R 25.48

-7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.37

$1.73 R 28.82

48.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$38.63

$1.53 R 25.52

39.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.19

$1.31 R 21.87

48.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.00

$1.32 R 22.04

46.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$20.80

$1.09 R 18.17

5.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.07

$1.33 R 22.16

-8.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$79.1

$2.69 R 44.73

62.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$178

$3.79 R 63.0

159.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$27.79

$1.25 R 20.81

23.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.08

$1.76 R 29.27

54.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.49

$1.56 R 25.92

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$88.8

$0.53 R 8.90

826.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$63.7

$0.85 R 14.10

314.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$103

$12.26 R 204

-53.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$27.84

$1.46 R 24.28

5.48%

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

$21.2K MX$383.9K

$35.4K R 589.6K

-40.05%

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

$24.5K MX$442.6K

$31.8K R 529.2K

-22.99%

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

$83.6 MX$1,511

$147 R 2,447

-43.13%

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

$24.03 MX$434

$34.12 R 568

-29.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$530

$37.06 R 617

-20.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,172

$35.75 R 595

81.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$532

$10.83 R 180

172.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$91.9

$7.27 R 121

-29.99%

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

$208 MX$3,754

$100 R 1,668

107.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.1K

$5,412 R 90.1K

-25.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$805

$58.1 R 966

-23.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$760

$32.57 R 542

29.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,365

$103 R 1,710

-26.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,652

$97.0 R 1,614

-5.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$17.8K

$397 R 6,608

148.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$6,962

$357 R 5,941

7.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.0K

$604 R 10.0K

183.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.0K

$738 R 12.3K

50.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$72.6K

$858 R 14.3K

367.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$112.9K

$649 R 10.8K

863.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.7K

$775 R 12.9K

-2.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.38

0.62%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Upington: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $397 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 2% 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.00 in Upington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $182 – 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 8%, 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 $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,682 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 $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $1,121 in Upington. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $208 per month in Playa del Carmen and $100 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 $1,121, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. 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.