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: $1,588 in Hamrun versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,666 in Hamrun versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,743 in Hamrun versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hamrun is roughly 26% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamrun is 19% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.96

$11.99 MX$210

42.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 €65.5

$41.78 MX$733

79.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.38 €8.20

$10.75 MX$189

-12.74%

Cappuccino

$1.85 €1.62

$3.50 MX$61.3

-47.14%

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

$2.21 €1.93

$1.45 MX$25.41

52.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$0.88 MX$15.52

81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 €2.47

$2.95 MX$51.7

-4.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$4.51 MX$79.1

-54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.14

$1.43 MX$25.12

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.84 MX$32.23

-29.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.57 MX$27.51

169.43%

Eggs

$4.49 €3.93

$2.51 MX$44.06

78.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 €9.01

$8.28 MX$145

24.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.58 €8.39

$8.43 MX$148

13.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 €12.30

$10.68 MX$187

31.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.43 €3.88

$2.61 MX$45.76

69.73%

Banana (1kg)

$3.20 €2.80

$1.44 MX$25.22

122.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 €2.83

$1.96 MX$34.41

65.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 €3.34

$2.09 MX$36.74

82.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.28

$1.85 MX$32.47

40.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 €1.18

$2.17 MX$38.02

-37.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 €2.12

$1.03 MX$18.09

134.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.10

$1.07 MX$18.84

16.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.10 MX$72.0

60.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 €7.43

$10.17 MX$178

-16.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.68 MX$29.38

10.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.04

$2.53 MX$44.31

-7.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.06

$0.51 MX$8.93

362.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 €5.05

$3.23 MX$56.7

78.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$2.41 MX$42.19

-57.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.0 €43.75

$3.23 MX$56.6

1447.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.32 MX$23.17

19.70%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

31.27%

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

$38.2K €33.4K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

61.52%

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

$92.7 €81.1

$82.0 MX$1,439

13.00%

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

$28.81 €25.21

$22.95 MX$403

25.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.19 €25.54

$30.11 MX$528

-3.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 €54.7

$52.0 MX$912

20.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.51 €20.57

$18.53 MX$325

26.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 €9.13

$4.98 MX$87.3

109.44%

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

$422 €369

$197 MX$3,463

113.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,797

$5,336 MX$93.6K

109.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.0 €80.5

$35.60 MX$624

158.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.20 €33.42

$40.33 MX$707

-5.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.9

$78.8 MX$1,381

33.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €90.3

$88.9 MX$1,560

16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 €610

$947 MX$16.6K

-26.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 €547

$474 MX$8,314

31.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 €1,427

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-0.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 €1,225

$1,211 MX$21.2K

15.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,793 €2,444

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-31.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,251 €1,969

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-65.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $697 in Hamrun and $947 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 $321 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 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,382 in Hamrun and $1,884 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: $697 in Hamrun versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Hamrun. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,588 per month in Hamrun versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,588 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 26% less than in Hamrun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.