Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hampton, VA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,311 in Hampton, VA, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

158

Cost of Living Index in Hampton, VA
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Hampton, VA Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Hampton, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,311

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hampton, VA and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hampton, VA and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,311 in Hampton, VA versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Hampton, VA $3,311
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,024 in Hampton, VA versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Hampton, VA $5,024
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,737 in Hampton, VA versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Hampton, VA $6,737
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Hampton, VA is roughly 175% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hampton, VA is 143% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.95 $19.95

$10.92 MX$205

82.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 $75.1

$43.37 MX$815

73.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.23 $12.23

$11.78 MX$221

3.82%

Cappuccino

$4.63 $4.63

$3.81 MX$71.6

21.52%

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

$3.38 $3.38

$1.28 MX$24.10

164.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.78 MX$14.71

212.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 $6.68

$3.17 MX$59.5

110.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.96 $8.96

$4.93 MX$92.7

81.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.41 MX$26.43

8.51%

White Bread (500g)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.22 MX$41.66

131.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.98 $6.98

$1.42 MX$26.64

391.55%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$2.52 MX$47.41

119.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 $8.15

$7.26 MX$137

12.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.86 $25.86

$7.70 MX$145

235.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 $19.88

$12.69 MX$239

56.66%

Apples (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$2.78 MX$52.3

377.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.37 MX$25.71

95.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.51 $9.51

$2.55 MX$47.94

272.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.84 $9.84

$2.12 MX$39.90

364.15%

Potato (1kg)

$6.85 $6.85

$1.94 MX$36.43

253.09%

Onion (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$1.89 MX$35.44

263.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.15 MX$21.55

206.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 $5.22

$1.18 MX$22.16

342.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.60 $9.60

$4.30 MX$80.7

123.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 $14.25

$9.95 MX$187

43.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.58 MX$29.76

11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.67 MX$50.2

41.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 $3.84

$0.55 MX$10.40

598.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.0 $54.0

$26.62 MX$500

102.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.97 MX$93.4

3.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.33 MX$62.6

-43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.33 $20.33

$5.36 MX$101

279.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.44 MX$27.14

-31.25%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

46.54%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

10.68%

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

$218 $218

$84.8 MX$1,594

157.51%

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

$52.1 $52.1

$23.41 MX$440

122.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 $78.6

$28.66 MX$539

174.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$57.1 MX$1,072

95.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 $35.63

$28.91 MX$543

23.24%

Cinema Ticket

$17.68 $17.68

$5.14 MX$96.6

243.97%

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

$1,362 $1,362

$207 MX$3,882

559.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K $14.9K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

280.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.03 $48.03

$43.35 MX$815

10.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.13 $49.13

$41.44 MX$779

18.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 $132

$74.2 MX$1,394

78.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$89.3 MX$1,677

48.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 $1,613

$980 MX$18.4K

64.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 $1,586

$381 MX$7,157

316.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,840 $2,840

$1,708 MX$32.1K

66.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,911 $2,911

$1,075 MX$20.2K

170.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,325 $2,325

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-62.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,757 $3,757

$735 MX$13.8K

411.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

11.45

-46.72%

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

Last update for Hampton, VA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hampton, VA

$1.6K 47.9%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 76% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Hampton, VA

$656 19.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 61.2% $401

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hampton, VA

$349 10.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 60.8% $212

Eating Out

Hampton, VA

$326 9.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 38% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Hampton, VA

$163 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 31.5% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Hampton, VA

$147 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 54.2% $80

Getting Around

Hampton, VA

$84 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 39.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,613 in Hampton, VA and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hampton, VA pays about 5.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Hampton, VA vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $656 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hampton, VA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

Same time as Hampton, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,436

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Hampton, VA Playa del Carmen 2,100 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Hampton, VA
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Hampton, VA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 64% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Hampton, VA is about 5.1 times higher, 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: $1,613 in Hampton, VA versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,311 per month in Hampton, VA versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 64% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 51% less than in Hampton, VA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,311 in Hampton, VA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hampton, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Hampton, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.