Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamra and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamra: $982 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Playa del Carmen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Hamra, Lebanon
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Hamra
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$982
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamra 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 Hamra and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $982 in Hamra versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Hamra $982
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,583 in Hamra versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Hamra $1,583
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,183 in Hamra versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Hamra $2,183
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Hamra costs roughly 18% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hamra 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hamra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.96 LBP 1.1M
$10.92 MX$205
9.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.7 LBP 6.1M
$43.37 MX$814
56.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.85 LBP 882.0K
$11.78 MX$221
-16.38%
Cappuccino
$4.62 LBP 413.2K
$3.81 MX$71.5
21.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 LBP 213.7K
$1.28 MX$24.07
86.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.89 LBP 80.0K
$0.78 MX$14.70
14.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.94 LBP 441.9K
$3.17 MX$59.5
55.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.76 LBP 426.3K
$4.93 MX$92.7
-3.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hamra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 LBP 180.4K
$1.41 MX$26.40
43.26%
White Bread (500g)
$0.84 LBP 75.5K
$2.22 MX$41.62
-62.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.18 LBP 194.8K
$1.42 MX$26.61
53.52%
Eggs
$3.60 LBP 322.2K
$2.52 MX$47.36
42.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.26 LBP 1.0M
$7.26 MX$136
55.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.44 LBP 934.4K
$7.70 MX$144
35.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.67 LBP 1.3M
$12.69 MX$238
15.60%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 LBP 269.4K
$2.78 MX$52.3
8.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 LBP 152.1K
$1.37 MX$25.68
24.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.67 LBP 149.4K
$2.55 MX$47.89
-34.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.54 LBP 137.8K
$2.12 MX$39.86
-27.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.25 LBP 112.3K
$1.94 MX$36.39
-35.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.56 LBP 139.6K
$1.89 MX$35.41
-17.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 LBP 104.5K
$1.15 MX$21.53
1.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 LBP 64.9K
$1.18 MX$22.13
-38.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.91 LBP 260.7K
$4.30 MX$80.6
-32.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.95 LBP 979.8K
$9.95 MX$187
10.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 LBP 119.3K
$1.58 MX$29.73
-15.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 LBP 223.6K
$2.67 MX$50.1
-6.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Hamra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.55 MX$10.39
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$500
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.12 LBP 458.1K
$4.97 MX$93.3
3.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.28 LBP 204.0K
$3.33 MX$62.5
-31.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.80 LBP 2.0M
$5.36 MX$101
325.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.09 LBP 97.9K
$1.44 MX$27.11
-24.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$53.1K LBP 4.7B
$20.7K MX$388.0K
156.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.4K LBP 2.9B
$23.5K MX$440.5K
38.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$211 LBP 18.9M
$84.8 MX$1,592
149.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.94 LBP 2.1M
$23.41 MX$439
2.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.49 LBP 3.4M
$28.66 MX$538
34.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hamra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.1 MX$1,071
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$543
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.03 LBP 897.7K
$5.14 MX$96.5
95.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hamra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$689 LBP 61.7M
$207 MX$3,878
233.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K LBP 959.7M
$3,927 MX$73.7K
173.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hamra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.2 LBP 6.0M
$43.35 MX$814
55.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.06 LBP 4.4M
$41.44 MX$778
18.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 LBP 12.3M
$74.2 MX$1,393
84.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 LBP 10.9M
$89.3 MX$1,676
36.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hamra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$980 MX$18.4K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$381 MX$7,150
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hamra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
11.45
-3.93%

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

Last update for Hamra: 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.
Groceries & Markets
Hamra
$275
Playa del Carmen
$255 7.4% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamra
$274
Playa del Carmen
$137 50% $137
Eating Out
Hamra
$228
Playa del Carmen
$202 11.2% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Hamra
$169
Playa del Carmen
$112 33.9% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Hamra
$20 *
Playa del Carmen
$67 236% $47
Getting Around
Hamra
$17 *
Playa del Carmen
$50 205% $34
Accommodation & Living
Hamra
- *
Playa del Carmen
$381

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68 in Hamra vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇱🇧 Hamra
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
17:49 5:49 PM
10:49 10:49 AM
7 h behind Hamra
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,251,739
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to LBP – Lebanese Pound Converter

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,933 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hamra Playa del Carmen 11,430 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hamra
  • 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
Hamra vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Hamra and in Playa del Carmen?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $982 in Hamra and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Hamra is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Hamra compared to Playa del Carmen?
You’d need roughly $1,474 in Hamra and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Hamra and Playa del Carmen?
Childcare runs $689 in Hamra versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $68 in Hamra. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $982 in Hamra versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Hamra but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hamra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Where should digital nomads live: Hamra or Playa del Carmen?
Both work as nomad bases, but Hamra delivers better value at $982 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hamra hard to pass up.

Hamra vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?