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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,856 in Harish versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,350 in Harish versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,844 in Harish versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Harish is roughly 126% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harish is 109% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.66 ₪81.0

$11.60 MX$200

129.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 ₪315

$47.11 MX$812

120.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.95 ₪54.6

$11.88 MX$205

51.09%

Cappuccino

$4.66 ₪14.15

$3.98 MX$68.6

17.09%

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

$3.71 ₪11.27

$1.43 MX$24.60

159.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₪8.39

$0.82 MX$14.22

236.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.82 ₪32.91

$3.19 MX$55.0

239.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 ₪30.34

$6.79 MX$117

46.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.72 ₪8.26

$1.68 MX$28.89

61.90%

White Bread (500g)

$4.86 ₪14.78

$2.20 MX$37.88

120.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 ₪9.20

$1.71 MX$29.45

77.19%

Eggs

$4.71 ₪14.31

$2.74 MX$47.26

71.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.20 ₪40.11

$9.58 MX$165

37.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.42 ₪62.1

$9.01 MX$155

126.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.20 ₪70.5

$12.81 MX$221

81.11%

Apples (1kg)

$6.60 ₪20.07

$2.89 MX$49.81

128.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 ₪9.09

$1.50 MX$25.81

99.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₪8.83

$2.15 MX$37.03

34.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 ₪10.85

$2.26 MX$38.96

57.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 ₪5.15

$1.98 MX$34.15

-14.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ₪4.33

$1.99 MX$34.30

-28.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 ₪7.43

$1.23 MX$21.28

98.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₪6.69

$1.20 MX$20.63

83.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.09 ₪30.67

$4.55 MX$78.5

121.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 ₪39.30

$10.37 MX$179

24.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₪10.69

$1.62 MX$27.91

117.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 ₪12.19

$2.88 MX$49.67

39.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 ₪7.00

$0.60 MX$10.35

283.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 ₪305

$28.80 MX$497

248.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ₪11.82

$5.39 MX$92.9

-27.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 ₪3.55

$3.73 MX$64.3

-68.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.76 ₪87.4

$5.77 MX$99.5

398.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.62 ₪7.95

$1.54 MX$26.48

70.13%

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

$58.2K ₪177.1K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

158.29%

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

$58.5K ₪177.8K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

124.46%

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

$195 ₪593

$91.4 MX$1,576

113.37%

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

$14.79 ₪44.97

$25.20 MX$435

-41.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 ₪168

$31.24 MX$539

77.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 ₪222

$67.2 MX$1,159

8.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$16.50 ₪50.2

$4.86 MX$83.8

239.51%

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

$1,324 ₪4,025

$224 MX$3,856

492.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ₪85.5K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

565.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 ₪388

$47.10 MX$812

170.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 ₪196

$44.29 MX$764

45.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 ₪524

$80.1 MX$1,381

115.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$257 ₪782

$92.7 MX$1,598

177.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ₪4,547

$1,063 MX$18.3K

40.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 ₪3,444

$390 MX$6,728

190.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,534 ₪7,704

$2,149 MX$37.1K

17.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 ₪6,255

$1,272 MX$21.9K

61.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,708 ₪29.5K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

142.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,691 ₪20.3K

$6,502 MX$112.1K

2.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.45

-69.43%

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

Last update for Harish: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Harish and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $104 in Harish vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $494 vs $276 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,283 in Harish and $1,899 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: $1,496 in Harish versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 248% less than in Harish. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,324 in Harish versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,856 in Harish, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Harish. 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 Harish, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Harish 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 126% less than in Harish. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.