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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,114 in Uruapan del Progreso, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,733 in Uruapan del Progreso, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,351 in Uruapan del Progreso, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 15% 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 4% lower, Uruapan del Progreso 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$6.36 MX$111

87.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$15.81 MX$275

170.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$6.21 MX$108

70.53%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.75 MX$47.77

31.64%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.73 MX$12.74

101.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.51 MX$8.94

84.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.15 MX$37.49

43.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.22 MX$38.69

100.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.18 MX$20.46

21.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$2.64 MX$45.89

-28.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.36 MX$23.59

19.85%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.57 MX$44.72

2.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$7.48 MX$130

9.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$9.55 MX$166

-13.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$12.29 MX$214

-9.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$3.05 MX$53.0

-13.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.56 MX$27.16

-3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$0.99 MX$17.20

101.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.05 MX$18.19

98.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.92 MX$33.49

-6.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.14 MX$19.81

91.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.34 MX$23.37

-19.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.87 MX$15.08

19.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$4.12 MX$71.7

-3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.95 MX$208

-14.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.18 MX$37.85

-20.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$3.64 MX$63.3

-31.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.51 MX$8.92

1.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$4.26 MX$74.1

-26.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.26 MX$21.86

90.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$7.98 MX$139

-61.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.06 MX$18.45

19.81%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$18.2K MX$316.9K

69.56%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$21.0K MX$365.5K

10.99%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$58.4 MX$1,016

40.43%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$21.86 MX$380

2.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$31.50 MX$548

-5.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$36.10 MX$628

43.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$16.05 MX$279

16.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$3.51 MX$61.1

41.60%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$349 MX$6,067

-43.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$4,784 MX$83.2K

10.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$63.1 MX$1,097

-42.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$57.2 MX$995

-29.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$111 MX$1,939

-28.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$143 MX$2,488

-37.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$504 MX$8,765

91.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$405 MX$7,039

14.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$923 MX$16.1K

72.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$771 MX$13.4K

56.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$1,872 MX$32.6K

110.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,374 MX$23.9K

369.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$460 MX$7,999

56.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.17

-6.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Uruapan del Progreso: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $504 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 57% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Uruapan del Progreso. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $261 in Uruapan del Progreso – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 15%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,672 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,114 in Uruapan del Progreso. 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 $349 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 $1,114, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.