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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,507 in Hamilton versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,577 in Hamilton versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,647 in Hamilton versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 93% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamilton is 87% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 CA$25.47

$11.73 MX$203

56.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 CA$103

$41.62 MX$720

79.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.02

$10.64 MX$184

1.88%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CA$5.58

$3.52 MX$60.9

14.49%

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

$2.10 CA$2.90

$1.51 MX$26.12

39.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.39

$0.97 MX$16.84

78.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$7.94

$2.95 MX$51.0

94.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 CA$8.99

$4.45 MX$77.0

45.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.09

$1.38 MX$23.93

61.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 CA$2.92

$1.89 MX$32.72

11.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.16

$1.64 MX$28.32

82.93%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.43

$2.51 MX$43.34

27.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 CA$10.74

$8.34 MX$144

-6.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 CA$16.11

$8.34 MX$144

39.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$19.89

$10.73 MX$186

33.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.34

$2.60 MX$45.04

48.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.81

$1.46 MX$25.20

-10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$4.95

$1.90 MX$32.87

88.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.17

$2.08 MX$35.91

79.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.65

$1.78 MX$30.71

48.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.04

$2.19 MX$37.80

0.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.08

$1.04 MX$17.99

113.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 CA$2.77

$1.08 MX$18.62

85.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.59 CA$18.82

$4.08 MX$70.6

233.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 CA$18.11

$10.32 MX$178

26.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.42

$1.71 MX$29.61

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.16

$2.58 MX$44.54

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.55

$0.51 MX$8.81

401.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 CA$119

$26.46 MX$458

225.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 CA$4.96

$3.26 MX$56.4

9.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$2.49 MX$43.09

-51.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.51 CA$33.94

$3.25 MX$56.2

654.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.60

$1.31 MX$22.61

-12.21%

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

$25.0K CA$34.6K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-17.59%

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

$20.9K CA$29.0K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-10.63%

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

$150 CA$208

$82.9 MX$1,433

81.09%

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

$38.86 CA$53.8

$22.22 MX$384

74.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 CA$73.3

$29.34 MX$507

80.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 CA$50.5

$51.6 MX$893

-29.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 CA$30.29

$18.32 MX$317

19.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 CA$16.24

$5.07 MX$87.6

131.36%

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

$644 CA$892

$201 MX$3,473

220.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K CA$31.0K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

329.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 CA$78.4

$36.92 MX$639

53.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.04 CA$47.14

$39.79 MX$688

-14.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 CA$135

$78.5 MX$1,357

24.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$167

$87.1 MX$1,506

38.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 CA$1,864

$973 MX$16.8K

38.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,808

$468 MX$8,090

179.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 CA$2,846

$1,641 MX$28.4K

25.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 CA$2,728

$1,221 MX$21.1K

61.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,754 CA$3,813

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-30.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 CA$3,833

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-57.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,916 CA$4,037

$664 MX$11.5K

339.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

11.42

-42.03%

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

Last update for Hamilton: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,346 in Hamilton and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 339% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Hamilton vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Hamilton pays 339% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,346 in Hamilton versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $644 in Hamilton versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,507 in Hamilton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.