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 $1,342 per month in Utena vs $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,087 per month in Utena vs $2,177 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,832 per month in Utena vs $3,095 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

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

Utena sits 0% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.52 €10.12

$11.95 MX$209

-3.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.3

$41.94 MX$734

66.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.98 €6.14

$10.42 MX$182

-33.01%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.69

$3.51 MX$61.5

-13.11%

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

$2.57 €2.26

$1.52 MX$26.53

69.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.91 MX$15.93

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.06

$3.04 MX$53.2

89.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 €4.78

$4.37 MX$76.5

24.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.42 MX$24.86

-6.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.41

$1.83 MX$32.03

-12.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.73

$1.63 MX$28.60

20.86%

Eggs

$2.96 €2.60

$2.54 MX$44.43

16.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 €9.26

$8.57 MX$150

22.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 €4.64

$8.49 MX$149

-37.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 €8.89

$10.80 MX$189

-6.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.75 MX$48.19

-49.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 €1.48

$1.44 MX$25.13

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.89 MX$33.00

-8.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.79

$2.17 MX$37.96

46.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 €0.67

$1.78 MX$31.13

-57.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 €0.82

$2.22 MX$38.91

-57.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.37

$1.07 MX$18.70

45.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$1.08 MX$18.89

-23.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 €4.76

$4.15 MX$72.5

30.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.69 €7.64

$10.45 MX$183

-16.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.45

$1.74 MX$30.50

-5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.53

$2.58 MX$45.16

-32.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 €1.00

$0.51 MX$8.98

123.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.02 €29.91

$25.94 MX$454

31.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €3.95

$3.21 MX$56.2

40.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 €1.02

$2.50 MX$43.78

-53.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.78 €12.12

$3.19 MX$55.7

331.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.44

$1.26 MX$21.98

30.16%

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

$39.1K €34.4K

$29.7K MX$519.3K

31.84%

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

$29.3K €25.8K

$23.7K MX$414.3K

23.74%

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

$207 €182

$82.0 MX$1,435

152.54%

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

$13.92 €12.24

$22.73 MX$398

-38.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.61 €10.21

$29.42 MX$515

-60.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.81 €36.75

$52.2 MX$913

-19.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.34 €20.52

$18.45 MX$323

26.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 €8.09

$4.93 MX$86.3

86.82%

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

$472 €415

$202 MX$3,530

134.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,216

$5,217 MX$91.3K

100.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 €122

$35.93 MX$629

287.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.09 €38.76

$40.33 MX$706

9.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 €74.3

$79.9 MX$1,397

5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 €168

$89.3 MX$1,562

113.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 €465

$948 MX$16.6K

-44.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 €310

$465 MX$8,140

-24.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 €729

$1,630 MX$28.5K

-49.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 €564

$1,193 MX$20.9K

-46.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,973 €2,614

$3,933 MX$68.8K

-24.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,739 €1,529

$6,428 MX$112.4K

-72.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,249 €1,098

$658 MX$11.5K

89.67%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Utena versus $948 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 90% 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 $70.0 in Utena versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $227 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 $2,012 per month in Utena and $1,888 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 $1,342 in Utena and $1,259 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 31% 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 $1,259, than in Utena at $1,342. 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.