Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings, New Zealand and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,776 in Hastings, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Hastings
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Hastings Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Hastings

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,776

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hastings and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hastings and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,776 per month in Hastings vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Hastings $1,776
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Hastings vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Hastings $2,606
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,436 per month in Hastings vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Hastings $3,436
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Hastings costs about 47% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Hastings sits 31% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.55 NZ$20.50

$10.92 MX$205

5.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 NZ$99.9

$43.37 MX$814

29.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 NZ$16.56

$11.78 MX$221

-20.80%

Cappuccino

$3.29 NZ$5.83

$3.81 MX$71.5

-13.65%

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

$1.82 NZ$3.23

$1.28 MX$24.07

42.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 NZ$2.48

$0.78 MX$14.70

79.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 NZ$7.86

$3.17 MX$59.5

39.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 NZ$10.02

$4.93 MX$92.7

14.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 NZ$2.63

$1.41 MX$26.40

4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 NZ$2.21

$2.22 MX$41.62

-44.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 NZ$3.15

$1.42 MX$26.61

24.65%

Eggs

$5.38 NZ$9.55

$2.52 MX$47.36

113.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.72 NZ$10.16

$7.26 MX$136

-21.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.48 NZ$13.28

$7.70 MX$144

-2.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 NZ$20.82

$12.69 MX$238

-7.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 NZ$4.62

$2.78 MX$52.3

-6.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 NZ$3.57

$1.37 MX$25.68

46.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NZ$5.52

$2.55 MX$47.89

21.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 NZ$5.94

$2.12 MX$39.86

57.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.17

$1.94 MX$36.39

-7.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 NZ$1.82

$1.89 MX$35.41

-45.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 NZ$2.52

$1.15 MX$21.53

23.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 NZ$1.72

$1.18 MX$22.13

-17.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.86 NZ$31.70

$4.30 MX$80.6

315.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.50 NZ$16.86

$9.95 MX$187

-4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.86 NZ$6.85

$1.58 MX$29.73

144.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 NZ$5.36

$2.67 MX$50.1

13.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 NZ$5.01

$0.55 MX$10.39

412.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 NZ$184

$26.62 MX$500

290.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 NZ$6.66

$4.97 MX$93.3

-24.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 NZ$4.99

$3.33 MX$62.5

-15.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.06 NZ$58.7

$5.36 MX$101

516.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 NZ$2.77

$1.44 MX$27.11

8.33%

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

$28.0K NZ$49.7K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

35.55%

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

$22.8K NZ$40.5K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

-2.86%

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

$193 NZ$342

$84.8 MX$1,592

127.17%

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

$36.75 NZ$65.2

$23.41 MX$439

56.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 NZ$104

$28.66 MX$538

104.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.61 NZ$49.01

$57.1 MX$1,071

-51.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 NZ$18.38

$5.14 MX$96.5

101.36%

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

$684 NZ$1,214

$207 MX$3,878

231.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K NZ$40.8K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

485.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.65 NZ$84.6

$43.35 MX$814

9.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 NZ$67.4

$41.44 MX$778

-8.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 NZ$167

$74.2 MX$1,393

26.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 NZ$160

$89.3 MX$1,676

0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 NZ$1,466

$980 MX$18.4K

-15.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 NZ$1,262

$381 MX$7,150

86.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 NZ$2,781

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-8.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 NZ$2,068

$1,075 MX$20.2K

8.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,213 NZ$7,479

$3,943 MX$74.0K

6.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,293 NZ$5,847

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-46.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,586 NZ$2,816

$735 MX$13.8K

115.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

11.45

-40.35%

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

Last update for Hastings: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hastings

$711 40%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 46.4% $330

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hastings

$288 16.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 52.5% $151

Groceries & Markets

Hastings

$269 15.1%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 5.3% $14

Eating Out

Hastings

$206 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 1.8% $3.7

Getting Around

Hastings

$133 7.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 62.1% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Hastings

$121 6.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 8% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Hastings

$48 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 39.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $826 in Hastings versus $980 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 in Hastings are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Hastings versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Hastings

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

13:25 1:25 PM

18 h behind Hastings

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,100

149,923

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hastings Playa del Carmen 11,960 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Hastings
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 47% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,664 per month in Hastings and $1,806 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 Hastings, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $826 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Hastings, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Hastings and $43 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 $1,204, than in Hastings at $1,776. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hastings it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,776 in Hastings. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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