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: $2,321 in Hamilton versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,399 in Hamilton versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,477 in Hamilton versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 79% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamilton is 69% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.38 CA$25.54

$11.71 MX$199

56.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 CA$94.7

$46.59 MX$792

46.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.51 CA$17.38

$11.65 MX$198

7.38%

Cappuccino

$3.56 CA$4.94

$4.09 MX$69.6

-12.96%

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

$2.20 CA$3.06

$1.37 MX$23.35

60.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.42

$0.83 MX$14.17

109.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 CA$7.20

$3.35 MX$57.0

54.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 CA$9.04

$6.91 MX$117

-5.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.85

$1.73 MX$29.35

18.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 CA$3.09

$2.26 MX$38.41

-1.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.94

$1.77 MX$30.07

60.45%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.78

$2.73 MX$46.43

26.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 CA$10.52

$9.18 MX$156

-17.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 CA$14.46

$8.92 MX$152

16.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 CA$19.52

$12.60 MX$214

11.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.44

$3.02 MX$51.3

29.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.57 MX$26.69

-18.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 CA$5.93

$2.13 MX$36.12

100.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.45

$2.26 MX$38.48

73.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.66

$2.00 MX$34.05

32.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 CA$2.43

$2.06 MX$35.08

-15.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$1.18 MX$20.05

98.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$1.20 MX$20.46

21.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.22 CA$19.76

$4.63 MX$78.8

207.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.06 CA$18.15

$10.69 MX$182

22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.31

$1.62 MX$27.52

46.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 CA$5.82

$2.88 MX$48.96

45.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.81

$0.57 MX$9.74

380.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.7 CA$122

$29.83 MX$507

194.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 CA$4.86

$5.45 MX$92.6

-35.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$3.70 MX$63.0

-64.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.47 CA$32.62

$5.98 MX$102

292.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.65

$1.55 MX$26.40

-23.23%

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

$28.9K CA$40.2K

$22.3K MX$379.4K

29.47%

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

$20.1K CA$27.9K

$25.9K MX$441.0K

-22.65%

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

$151 CA$209

$89.1 MX$1,515

69.06%

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

$40.12 CA$55.8

$25.04 MX$426

60.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CA$71.1

$31.50 MX$535

62.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.62 CA$52.3

$67.8 MX$1,152

-44.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.56 CA$29.96

$28.92 MX$491

-25.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.27 CA$14.27

$5.05 MX$85.8

103.37%

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

$615 CA$855

$225 MX$3,823

173.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.1K

$4,222 MX$71.8K

293.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 CA$69.8

$47.44 MX$806

5.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.50 CA$47.94

$44.98 MX$764

-23.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$128

$82.0 MX$1,393

12.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$168

$92.1 MX$1,565

31.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 CA$1,834

$1,069 MX$18.2K

23.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 CA$1,683

$405 MX$6,888

198.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 CA$2,867

$1,935 MX$32.9K

6.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 CA$2,680

$1,301 MX$22.1K

48.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,814 CA$3,910

$3,995 MX$67.9K

-29.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,808 CA$3,902

$6,626 MX$112.6K

-57.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,912 CA$4,047

$749 MX$12.7K

288.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

11.45

-59.83%

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

Last update for Hamilton: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,320 in Hamilton and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 289% 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: $68.0 in Hamilton vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $277 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 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 289% higher in Hamilton, 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: $1,320 in Hamilton versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Hamilton versus $225 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 20% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,321 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 79% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.