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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Hartebeespoort versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,369 in Hartebeespoort versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,876 in Hartebeespoort versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hartebeespoort costs roughly 33% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hartebeespoort 36% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.10 R 117

$11.94 MX$208

-40.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.19 R 549

$42.75 MX$744

-22.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 R 79.5

$10.59 MX$184

-54.67%

Cappuccino

$1.84 R 30.51

$3.62 MX$63.0

-49.17%

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

$0.98 R 16.17

$1.47 MX$25.54

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 R 12.14

$0.94 MX$16.41

-22.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 R 32.68

$3.09 MX$53.8

-36.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R 35.66

$4.46 MX$77.6

-51.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R 16.02

$1.43 MX$24.80

-32.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 R 16.25

$1.88 MX$32.79

-47.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R 23.39

$1.63 MX$28.34

-13.50%

Eggs

$2.24 R 37.04

$2.64 MX$45.99

-15.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.44 R 107

$8.21 MX$143

-21.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 R 69.2

$8.29 MX$144

-49.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.21 R 103

$11.10 MX$193

-44.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.18

$2.65 MX$46.14

-44.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.71

$1.50 MX$26.11

-8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 R 21.86

$1.99 MX$34.59

-33.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.62

$2.08 MX$36.13

-34.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.81

$1.79 MX$31.11

-32.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R 20.05

$2.18 MX$37.87

-44.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 R 14.56

$1.08 MX$18.73

-18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.69

$1.04 MX$18.04

-14.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 R 47.47

$3.97 MX$69.1

-27.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.97 R 82.2

$10.20 MX$178

-51.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R 20.07

$1.73 MX$30.04

-30.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.57

$2.50 MX$43.46

-33.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 R 37.95

$0.52 MX$9.02

340.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 R 756

$26.97 MX$469

69.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.72

$3.14 MX$54.7

-64.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.85

$2.40 MX$41.80

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 R 73.1

$3.09 MX$53.7

43.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R 20.15

$1.27 MX$22.16

-3.94%

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

$17.8K R 294.6K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-42.36%

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

$22.6K R 374.5K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

-2.94%

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

$93.6 R 1,548

$82.0 MX$1,427

14.07%

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

$18.83 R 312

$22.45 MX$391

-16.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.40 R 520

$29.66 MX$516

5.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.23 R 484

$51.9 MX$903

-43.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.81 R 146

$18.67 MX$325

-52.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 R 91.1

$4.97 MX$86.5

10.66%

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

$205 R 3,388

$198 MX$3,442

3.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 R 69.1K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-20.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.02 R 679

$36.34 MX$632

12.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.28 R 402

$40.05 MX$697

-39.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 R 1,116

$79.9 MX$1,390

-15.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.5 R 885

$88.9 MX$1,547

-39.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 R 3,804

$963 MX$16.8K

-76.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 R 4,274

$465 MX$8,086

-44.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 R 9,559

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-63.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 R 8,899

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-55.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$461 R 7,637

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-88.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$590 R 9,771

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-90.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,077 R 34.4K

$720 MX$12.5K

188.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.59

11.42

-16.02%

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

Last update for Hartebeespoort: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $230 in Hartebeespoort and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hartebeespoort pays 188% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Hartebeespoort vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $251 per month, with Hartebeespoort 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

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

Hartebeespoort is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Hartebeespoort pays 188% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $230 in Hartebeespoort versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $205 in Hartebeespoort versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $862 in Hartebeespoort versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hartebeespoort but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hartebeespoort the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hartebeespoort is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hartebeespoort 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 Hartebeespoort gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.