Cost of Living Comparison Between Utena and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Utena and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,355 per month in Utena vs $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,124 per month in Utena vs $2,130 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,892 per month in Utena vs $2,999 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Utena costs about 7% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Utena sits 1% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.38 €9.71

$11.67 MX$202

-2.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.2

$41.88 MX$726

65.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 €5.98

$10.40 MX$180

-32.60%

Cappuccino

$3.08 €2.63

$3.61 MX$62.6

-14.68%

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

$2.56 €2.19

$1.47 MX$25.45

74.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.65

$0.91 MX$15.80

112.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.00

$3.03 MX$52.6

93.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.66

$4.47 MX$77.4

22.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.38 MX$23.83

-0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.30

$1.84 MX$31.93

-16.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 €1.77

$1.61 MX$27.82

28.57%

Eggs

$3.01 €2.56

$2.57 MX$44.52

17.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 €8.96

$8.49 MX$147

23.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.20 €4.44

$8.49 MX$147

-38.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 €8.40

$10.99 MX$190

-10.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 €1.15

$2.73 MX$47.25

-50.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 €1.37

$1.50 MX$25.92

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.96 MX$33.93

-12.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 €2.65

$2.12 MX$36.70

46.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 €0.68

$1.86 MX$32.30

-56.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 €0.81

$2.17 MX$37.67

-56.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.07 MX$18.59

42.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.73

$1.05 MX$18.18

-18.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.54 €4.73

$4.19 MX$72.6

32.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.84 €7.54

$10.28 MX$178

-14.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.48

$1.67 MX$28.87

4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.46

$2.49 MX$43.12

-31.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 €0.97

$0.54 MX$9.37

109.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.03 €28.18

$26.27 MX$455

25.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.01

$3.10 MX$53.8

51.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 €0.99

$2.46 MX$42.66

-52.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.00 €11.94

$3.24 MX$56.1

332.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.35

$1.26 MX$21.83

26.19%

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

$38.5K €32.8K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

27.58%

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

$29.3K €25.0K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

25.18%

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

$214 €183

$84.0 MX$1,456

154.76%

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

$13.86 €11.82

$22.21 MX$385

-37.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.50 €9.81

$29.65 MX$514

-61.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.69 €35.56

$52.6 MX$912

-20.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.47 €20.02

$18.34 MX$318

27.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.29 €7.93

$4.95 MX$85.7

87.68%

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

$464 €395

$198 MX$3,438

133.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,001

$5,322 MX$92.2K

98.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 €118

$35.95 MX$623

283.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 €36.86

$40.06 MX$694

7.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 €72.3

$78.8 MX$1,365

7.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 €163

$86.5 MX$1,499

121.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 €462

$977 MX$16.9K

-44.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 €307

$471 MX$8,158

-23.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 €701

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-48.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 €558

$1,215 MX$21.1K

-46.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,646 €2,257

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-34.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,571 €1,340

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-76.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,251 €1,067

$714 MX$12.4K

75.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.13

11.42

-63.84%

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

Last update for Utena: April 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $542 in Utena versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. 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 75% higher in Utena, 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 $69 in Utena versus $42 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $226 in Utena vs $252 in Playa del Carmen – so Utena 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

Utena vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Utena is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,033 per month in Utena and $1,891 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,355 in Utena and $1,261 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,261, than in Utena at $1,355. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Utena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Utena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.