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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,781 per month in Hastings vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,593 per month in Hastings vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,405 per month in Hastings vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Hastings costs about 41% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Hastings sits 30% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 NZ$20.32

$11.60 MX$200

0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 NZ$99.4

$47.11 MX$812

20.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 NZ$16.00

$11.88 MX$205

-22.98%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NZ$5.71

$3.98 MX$68.6

-17.84%

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

$1.90 NZ$3.32

$1.43 MX$24.60

32.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 NZ$2.57

$0.82 MX$14.22

79.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 NZ$7.87

$3.19 MX$55.0

41.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 NZ$9.81

$6.79 MX$117

-17.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 NZ$3.11

$1.68 MX$28.89

5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 NZ$3.79

$2.20 MX$37.88

-1.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.26

$1.71 MX$29.45

8.77%

Eggs

$5.78 NZ$10.10

$2.74 MX$47.26

110.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.61 NZ$13.30

$9.58 MX$165

-20.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 NZ$17.43

$9.01 MX$155

10.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.85 NZ$20.72

$12.81 MX$221

-7.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 NZ$4.66

$2.89 MX$49.81

-7.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 NZ$3.55

$1.50 MX$25.81

35.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 NZ$5.59

$2.15 MX$37.03

48.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 NZ$5.92

$2.26 MX$38.96

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.16

$1.98 MX$34.15

-8.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 NZ$1.81

$1.99 MX$34.30

-47.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 NZ$2.57

$1.23 MX$21.28

19.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 NZ$1.72

$1.20 MX$20.63

-17.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.08 NZ$31.61

$4.55 MX$78.5

297.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.32 NZ$16.30

$10.37 MX$179

-10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 NZ$5.68

$1.62 MX$27.91

100.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$5.08

$2.88 MX$49.67

1.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 NZ$5.02

$0.60 MX$10.35

378.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.5 NZ$146

$28.80 MX$497

189.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 NZ$3.41

$5.39 MX$92.9

-63.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 NZ$3.31

$3.73 MX$64.3

-49.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.09 NZ$61.3

$5.77 MX$99.5

508.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 NZ$2.75

$1.54 MX$26.48

1.95%

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

$26.5K NZ$46.3K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

17.37%

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

$23.0K NZ$40.1K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

-11.88%

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

$196 NZ$343

$91.4 MX$1,576

114.75%

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

$32.55 NZ$56.9

$25.20 MX$435

29.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 NZ$94.6

$31.24 MX$539

73.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.94 NZ$48.84

$67.2 MX$1,159

-58.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 NZ$18.22

$4.86 MX$83.8

114.40%

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

$1,097 NZ$1,918

$224 MX$3,856

390.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K NZ$22.9K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

210.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.99 NZ$83.9

$47.10 MX$812

1.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 NZ$50.9

$44.29 MX$764

-34.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$183

$80.1 MX$1,381

30.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 NZ$162

$92.7 MX$1,598

-0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 NZ$1,459

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-21.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 NZ$1,253

$390 MX$6,728

83.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 NZ$2,817

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-25.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 NZ$2,049

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-7.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,507 NZ$7,880

$4,001 MX$69.0K

12.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,714 NZ$6,492

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-42.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,601 NZ$2,798

$758 MX$13.1K

111.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

11.45

-52.93%

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

Last update for Hastings: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $835 in Hastings versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 111% higher in Hastings, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Hastings versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $276 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Hastings costs about 41% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,671 per month in Hastings and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Hastings, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Hastings and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Hastings at $1,781. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hastings it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,266 versus $1,781 in Hastings. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hastings makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.