Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Uruapan del Progreso: $1,136 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Uruapan del Progreso, Mexico
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Uruapan del Progreso
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,136
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Uruapan del Progreso

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Uruapan del Progreso actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,136 in Uruapan del Progreso, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Uruapan del Progreso $1,136

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,891 in Uruapan del Progreso, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Uruapan del Progreso $1,891

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,646 in Uruapan del Progreso, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Uruapan del Progreso $2,646

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% more than Uruapan del Progreso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Uruapan del Progreso are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Uruapan del Progreso 16% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Uruapan del Progreso
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$204
$10.79 MX$201
1.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$62.9 MX$1,172
-31.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$220
$9.44 MX$176
24.79%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$2.49 MX$46.45
53.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.90
$0.71 MX$13.29
80.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.59
$0.52 MX$9.69
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$2.63 MX$49.09
20.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.0
$1.84 MX$34.37
167.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Uruapan del Progreso
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.31 MX$24.41
7.63%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.33
$2.71 MX$50.5
-18.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.42
$1.37 MX$25.62
3.65%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.03
$2.63 MX$49.01
-4.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$7.91 MX$147
-8.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$8.68 MX$162
-11.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$237
$12.74 MX$237
-0.39%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$3.10 MX$57.8
-10.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.50
$1.63 MX$30.36
-15.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.55
$1.01 MX$18.74
152.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.58
$1.05 MX$19.56
101.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.13
$1.44 MX$26.86
34.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.16
$1.16 MX$21.61
62.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.37
$1.31 MX$24.46
-12.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.98
$0.82 MX$15.30
43.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.1
$4.40 MX$82.1
-2.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$11.52 MX$215
-13.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.52
$2.18 MX$40.70
-27.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.79
$3.97 MX$74.1
-32.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Uruapan del Progreso
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$0.63 MX$11.75
-12.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
$31.87 MX$594
-16.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$3.16 MX$58.9
57.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$2.60 MX$48.47
28.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$8.20 MX$153
-34.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.92
$1.22 MX$22.82
18.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.2K
$24.7K MX$459.6K
-16.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.4K
$23.1K MX$430.5K
1.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Uruapan del Progreso
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,581
$57.7 MX$1,076
46.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$26.72 MX$498
-12.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$24.67 MX$460
16.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Uruapan del Progreso
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$32.01 MX$597
78.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
$19.84 MX$370
45.72%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.8
$4.50 MX$83.8
14.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Uruapan del Progreso
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,851
$265 MX$4,934
-21.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$5,027 MX$93.7K
-21.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Uruapan del Progreso
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$52.5 MX$979
-17.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$43.65 MX$814
-5.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,383
$98.4 MX$1,833
-24.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,664
$97.6 MX$1,819
-8.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Uruapan del Progreso
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.3K
$646 MX$12.0K
51.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,099
$378 MX$7,052
0.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$1,034 MX$19.3K
65.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$769 MX$14.3K
39.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
$1,971 MX$36.7K
100.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.8K
$1,030 MX$19.2K
497.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Uruapan del Progreso
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
$432 MX$8,051
70.07%
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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Uruapan del Progreso: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Uruapan del Progreso
$378 0.7% $2.5
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Uruapan del Progreso
$260 1.9% $4.9
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Uruapan del Progreso
$166 17.8% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Uruapan del Progreso
$109 20.3% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Uruapan del Progreso
$131 17.7% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Uruapan del Progreso
$41 39.1% $26
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Uruapan del Progreso
$51 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $646 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 70% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $63 in Uruapan del Progreso. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $260 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Uruapan del Progreso
🕒 Local time
11:10 11:10 AM
10:10 10:10 AM
1 h behind Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
299,523
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Uruapan del Progreso 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Uruapan del Progreso

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Uruapan del Progreso cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,705 in Uruapan del Progreso. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Uruapan del Progreso, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $646 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Uruapan del Progreso?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,136 in Uruapan del Progreso. That’s a gap of about 6%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $265 in Uruapan del Progreso. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Playa del Carmen or in Uruapan del Progreso?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,136 in Uruapan del Progreso. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Uruapan del Progreso?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,136 in Uruapan del Progreso to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
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.

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