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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,610 in Hamrun versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Hamrun versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,781 in Hamrun versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hamrun is roughly 24% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamrun is 20% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.48 €15.04

$11.73 MX$203

49.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 €64.5

$41.62 MX$720

80.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 €7.73

$10.64 MX$184

-15.51%

Cappuccino

$1.86 €1.60

$3.52 MX$60.9

-47.16%

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

$2.22 €1.91

$1.51 MX$26.12

47.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$0.97 MX$16.84

64.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 €2.43

$2.95 MX$51.0

-4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$4.45 MX$77.0

-53.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.38 MX$23.93

-1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.89 MX$32.72

-30.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 €3.71

$1.64 MX$28.32

163.41%

Eggs

$4.49 €3.86

$2.51 MX$43.34

78.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 €8.80

$8.34 MX$144

22.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 €7.97

$8.34 MX$144

11.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.77 €11.84

$10.73 MX$186

28.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 €3.71

$2.60 MX$45.04

66.15%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 €2.63

$1.46 MX$25.20

109.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.90 MX$32.87

71.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 €3.18

$2.08 MX$35.91

77.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.13

$1.78 MX$30.71

39.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.19 MX$37.80

-41.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.04 MX$17.99

127.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.08 MX$18.62

10.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.72

$4.08 MX$70.6

62.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 €7.23

$10.32 MX$178

-18.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.71 MX$29.61

8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.58 MX$44.54

-13.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.51 MX$8.81

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 €5.01

$3.26 MX$56.4

78.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.91

$2.49 MX$43.09

-57.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.78 €42.82

$3.25 MX$56.2

1431.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.31 MX$22.61

19.85%

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

$38.9K €33.4K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

28.32%

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

$37.3K €32.1K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

59.06%

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

$95.2 €81.9

$82.9 MX$1,433

14.93%

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

$28.05 €24.12

$22.22 MX$384

26.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.75 €24.73

$29.34 MX$507

-2.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.1 €54.2

$51.6 MX$893

22.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 €20.00

$18.32 MX$317

26.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.49 €9.03

$5.07 MX$87.6

106.90%

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

$429 €369

$201 MX$3,473

113.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K €9,494

$5,212 MX$90.1K

111.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.6

$36.92 MX$639

147.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.65 €33.25

$39.79 MX$688

-2.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.2

$78.5 MX$1,357

29.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 €86.3

$87.1 MX$1,506

15.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 €607

$973 MX$16.8K

-27.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 €553

$468 MX$8,090

37.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,412

$1,641 MX$28.4K

0.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 €1,216

$1,221 MX$21.1K

15.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,938 €2,528

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-25.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,333 €2,007

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-64.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.7

11.42

-76.36%

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

Last update for Hamrun: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $705 in Hamrun and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in Hamrun vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,415 in Hamrun and $1,945 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $705 in Hamrun versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Hamrun. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,610 per month in Hamrun versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,610 in Hamrun, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hamrun. 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 Hamrun, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hamrun and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Hamrun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.