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 $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,120 in Upington, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,737 in Upington, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,355 in Upington, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 19% more than Upington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Upington are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Upington 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$12.53 R 202

3.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$37.60 R 606

23.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$5.94 R 95.7

111.95%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$1.78 R 28.73

124.72%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.11 R 17.81

27.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.79 R 12.80

2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$1.71 R 27.53

78.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.86 R 46.04

138.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$0.97 R 15.64

76.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.21 R 19.46

83.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.74 R 28.03

-1.15%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.61 R 41.96

3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$8.18 R 132

14.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$5.08 R 81.9

74.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$7.27 R 117

75.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$1.92 R 30.87

63.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.70 R 27.43

-8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.73 R 27.83

24.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.79 R 28.82

31.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$1.50 R 24.20

34.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.45 R 23.37

37.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.20 R 19.35

3.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$1.19 R 19.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$2.77 R 44.57

67.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$3.91 R 63.0

167.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.44 R 23.27

9.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.02 R 32.58

44.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$1.51 R 24.36

-62.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$0.61 R 9.77

772.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.85 R 13.74

337.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$9.11 R 147

-36.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.46 R 23.58

6.16%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$36.5K R 587.4K

-38.66%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$32.0K R 515.2K

-20.06%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$153 R 2,466

-41.69%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$35.70 R 575

-34.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$38.61 R 622

-17.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$32.26 R 520

113.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$7.21 R 116

-29.82%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$240 R 3,861

-7.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$5,685 R 91.6K

-24.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$55.3 R 891

-16.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$33.55 R 540

32.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$103 R 1,665

-7.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$91.6 R 1,476

1.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$402 R 6,467

166.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$372 R 5,995

5.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$612 R 9,854

224.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$766 R 12.3K

70.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$888 R 14.3K

354.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$641 R 10.3K

934.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$803 R 12.9K

-6.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

11.38

1.93%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Upington: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $402 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 7% 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Upington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $192 – 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 19%, 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 $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,679 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 $1,330 in Playa del Carmen and $1,120 in Upington. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $222 per month in Playa del Carmen and $240 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 $1,120, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. 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.