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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $897 in Hamra versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,413 in Hamra versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,928 in Hamra versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hamra costs roughly 30% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hamra 33% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.77 LBP 964.0K

$11.94 MX$209

-9.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 LBP 5.5M

$42.75 MX$748

43.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 LBP 735.7K

$10.59 MX$185

-22.38%

Cappuccino

$3.39 LBP 303.4K

$3.62 MX$63.4

-6.35%

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

$1.63 LBP 145.6K

$1.47 MX$25.69

10.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 LBP 79.0K

$0.94 MX$16.51

-6.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 LBP 310.9K

$3.09 MX$54.1

12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 LBP 450.4K

$4.46 MX$78.0

12.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 LBP 152.4K

$1.43 MX$24.94

18.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 LBP 75.7K

$1.88 MX$32.97

-54.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 LBP 164.8K

$1.63 MX$28.50

12.88%

Eggs

$3.11 LBP 278.6K

$2.64 MX$46.26

17.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 LBP 1.0M

$8.21 MX$144

38.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 LBP 842.0K

$8.29 MX$145

13.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 LBP 1.0M

$11.10 MX$194

0.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 LBP 160.0K

$2.65 MX$46.40

-32.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 LBP 135.4K

$1.50 MX$26.26

0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 LBP 103.1K

$1.99 MX$34.79

-42.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 LBP 97.7K

$2.08 MX$36.33

-47.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 LBP 82.7K

$1.79 MX$31.29

-48.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 LBP 93.8K

$2.18 MX$38.09

-51.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 LBP 78.0K

$1.08 MX$18.84

-19.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 LBP 49.4K

$1.04 MX$18.15

-47.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 LBP 225.7K

$3.97 MX$69.5

-36.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 LBP 973.7K

$10.20 MX$179

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 LBP 110.5K

$1.73 MX$30.22

-28.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 LBP 196.8K

$2.50 MX$43.71

-12.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 LBP 439.8K

$3.14 MX$55.0

56.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 LBP 113.7K

$2.40 MX$42.04

-47.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.95 LBP 1.8M

$3.09 MX$54.0

545.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 LBP 86.2K

$1.27 MX$22.28

-24.41%

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

$35.3K LBP 3.2B

$30.9K MX$540.4K

14.25%

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

$28.1K LBP 2.5B

$23.3K MX$408.0K

20.40%

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

$212 LBP 19.0M

$82.0 MX$1,435

158.94%

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

$37.50 LBP 3.4M

$22.45 MX$393

67.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.72 LBP 3.3M

$29.66 MX$519

23.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 LBP 706.1K

$4.97 MX$87.0

58.75%

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

$300 LBP 26.9M

$198 MX$3,462

51.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,409 LBP 394.6M

$5,273 MX$92.3K

-16.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 LBP 6.3M

$36.34 MX$636

92.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.84 LBP 4.1M

$40.05 MX$701

14.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 LBP 10.8M

$79.9 MX$1,398

51.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 LBP 8.6M

$88.9 MX$1,555

7.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

11.42

-2.28%

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

Last update for Hamra: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $61.0 in Hamra vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $251, with Hamra cheaper for home cooking.

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

Hamra and Playa del Carmen differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($897 vs $1,287 including rent). Hamra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,345 in Hamra and $1,930 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.

Childcare runs $300 in Hamra versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamra – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $897 in Hamra versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 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.

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 Hamra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.