Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Uruapan del Progreso Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Uruapan del Progreso

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,189 in Uruapan del Progreso, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,964 in Uruapan del Progreso, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,739 in Uruapan del Progreso, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 10% more than Uruapan del Progreso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Uruapan del Progreso are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Uruapan del Progreso 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$11.59 MX$197

3.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$64.2 MX$1,088

-26.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$9.76 MX$166

20.39%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.71 MX$45.91

52.03%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.80 MX$13.65

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.61 MX$10.39

49.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.92 MX$49.49

9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.00 MX$33.92

253.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.38 MX$23.38

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$2.85 MX$48.41

-24.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.50 MX$25.39

18.00%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.93 MX$49.69

-3.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.60 MX$146

6.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$9.77 MX$166

-5.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$13.59 MX$231

-6.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.30 MX$56.0

-10.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.78 MX$30.26

-11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.05 MX$17.81

111.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.19 MX$20.22

98.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.54 MX$26.17

29.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.28 MX$21.65

54.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.51 MX$25.67

-17.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.95 MX$16.20

27.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.85 MX$82.3

-5.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$12.29 MX$208

-14.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.49 MX$42.25

-32.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$4.42 MX$75.1

-37.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.72 MX$12.29

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$3.45 MX$58.5

51.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$2.71 MX$45.96

34.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$8.71 MX$148

-33.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.31 MX$22.16

17.56%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$22.7K MX$385.8K

0.26%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$26.0K MX$441.7K

-0.86%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$65.2 MX$1,106

39.00%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$28.61 MX$485

-11.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$27.23 MX$462

16.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$36.86 MX$625

86.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$21.82 MX$370

34.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.87 MX$82.7

-0.21%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$287 MX$4,872

-21.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$5,478 MX$92.9K

-23.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$57.1 MX$969

-17.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$47.37 MX$804

-8.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$107 MX$1,808

-24.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$103 MX$1,754

-11.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$662 MX$11.2K

64.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$408 MX$6,929

0.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,128 MX$19.1K

74.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$818 MX$13.9K

56.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,951 MX$33.1K

107.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,247 MX$21.2K

437.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$478 MX$8,104

61.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.99

-4.50%

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 Uruapan del Progreso: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $662 in Uruapan del Progreso. 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 62% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $64.0 in Uruapan del Progreso. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $283 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Uruapan del Progreso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 10%, 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 $1,783 in Uruapan del Progreso. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Uruapan del Progreso, 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $1,189 in Uruapan del Progreso. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $287 in Uruapan del Progreso. 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 Uruapan del Progreso, where all-in costs run around $1,189, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Uruapan del Progreso it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Uruapan del Progreso – 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 Uruapan del Progreso. 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.