Cost of Living Comparison Between Castle Hill and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Castle Hill and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,254 per month in Castle Hill vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,246 per month in Castle Hill vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,239 per month in Castle Hill vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Castle Hill costs about 75% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Castle Hill sits 68% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.54 A$18.96

$11.94 MX$209

13.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 A$85.9

$42.75 MX$748

43.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 A$14.09

$10.59 MX$185

-4.91%

Cappuccino

$3.49 A$4.89

$3.62 MX$63.4

-3.59%

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

$2.51 A$3.51

$1.47 MX$25.69

70.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$2.98

$0.94 MX$16.51

126.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.39 A$8.95

$3.09 MX$54.1

106.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 A$9.98

$4.46 MX$78.0

59.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.07

$1.43 MX$24.94

3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 A$3.29

$1.88 MX$32.97

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.82

$1.63 MX$28.50

23.93%

Eggs

$4.36 A$6.10

$2.64 MX$46.26

65.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 A$11.59

$8.21 MX$144

0.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 A$11.93

$8.29 MX$145

2.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.77 A$19.28

$11.10 MX$194

24.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.44

$2.65 MX$46.40

19.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.00

$1.50 MX$26.26

90.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.22

$1.99 MX$34.79

51.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 A$5.77

$2.08 MX$36.33

98.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.41

$1.79 MX$31.29

35.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$2.96

$2.18 MX$38.09

-2.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.02

$1.08 MX$18.84

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 A$2.11

$1.04 MX$18.15

45.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.05 A$43.46

$3.97 MX$69.5

682.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.82 A$22.15

$10.20 MX$179

55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.46 A$6.25

$1.73 MX$30.22

157.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.34

$2.50 MX$43.71

109.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 A$3.73

$0.52 MX$9.07

411.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 A$91.0

$26.97 MX$472

141.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 A$5.07

$3.14 MX$55.0

15.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.24

$2.40 MX$42.04

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.89 A$47.45

$3.09 MX$54.0

996.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.65

$1.27 MX$22.28

-7.09%

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

$28.7K A$40.1K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-7.14%

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

$22.9K A$32.0K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

-1.92%

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

$186 A$261

$82.0 MX$1,435

127.33%

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

$27.72 A$38.81

$22.45 MX$393

23.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 A$74.1

$29.66 MX$519

78.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 A$68.4

$51.9 MX$908

-5.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.63 A$21.88

$18.67 MX$327

-16.28%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 A$18.02

$4.97 MX$87.0

158.95%

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

$1,608 A$2,251

$198 MX$3,462

712.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.6K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

125.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 A$96.0

$36.34 MX$636

88.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 A$70.1

$40.05 MX$701

24.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$140

$79.9 MX$1,398

25.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$148

$88.9 MX$1,555

18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 A$1,762

$963 MX$16.9K

30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 A$1,510

$465 MX$8,133

132.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 A$2,810

$1,596 MX$27.9K

25.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 A$2,354

$1,209 MX$21.2K

39.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,090 A$8,526

$3,942 MX$69.0K

54.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,078 A$7,109

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-21.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.42

-44.48%

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

Last update for Castle Hill: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,258 in Castle Hill versus $963 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Castle Hill versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $251 – 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,254 in Castle Hill, $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 75% apart. Castle Hill costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,381 per month in Castle Hill and $1,930 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Castle Hill and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,254 in Castle Hill and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,287, than in Castle Hill at $2,254. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Castle Hill it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,287 in Playa del Carmen to $2,254 in Castle Hill. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Castle Hill makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.