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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,401 in Haverhill versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,547 in Haverhill versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,693 in Haverhill versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Haverhill is roughly 86% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Haverhill is 75% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.95 £15.48

$11.71 MX$198

78.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.8 £64.9

$46.59 MX$788

88.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 £8.15

$11.65 MX$197

-5.32%

Cappuccino

$4.97 £3.67

$4.09 MX$69.2

21.52%

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

$2.57 £1.90

$1.37 MX$23.23

87.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.37

$0.83 MX$14.09

124.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.67 £4.93

$3.35 MX$56.7

99.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 £4.76

$6.91 MX$117

-6.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.73 MX$29.20

-1.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.21

$2.26 MX$38.21

-27.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 £1.68

$1.77 MX$29.91

28.81%

Eggs

$4.00 £2.96

$2.73 MX$46.19

46.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 £7.08

$9.18 MX$155

4.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 £6.41

$8.92 MX$151

-2.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 £11.15

$12.60 MX$213

19.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 £2.31

$3.02 MX$51.1

3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.57 MX$26.55

4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.15

$2.13 MX$35.93

36.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.55

$2.26 MX$38.28

52.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 £1.27

$2.00 MX$33.88

-14.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 £1.20

$2.06 MX$34.90

-20.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.93

$1.18 MX$19.94

6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.20 MX$20.35

25.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.71 £17.52

$4.63 MX$78.4

412.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.06 £8.18

$10.69 MX$181

3.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 £2.16

$1.62 MX$27.38

80.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.43

$2.88 MX$48.70

14.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 £2.66

$0.57 MX$9.69

529.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.6 £71.4

$29.83 MX$504

223.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.21 £3.85

$5.45 MX$92.1

-4.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 £1.49

$3.70 MX$62.6

-45.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.72 £18.27

$5.98 MX$101

313.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.55 MX$26.26

26.45%

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

$39.1K £28.9K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

75.33%

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

$42.4K £31.4K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

63.48%

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

$320 £236

$89.1 MX$1,507

258.68%

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

$17.87 £13.21

$25.04 MX$423

-28.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.00 £31.78

$31.50 MX$532

36.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.61 £35.20

$67.8 MX$1,146

-29.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.02 £8.88

$28.92 MX$489

-58.44%

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 £10.55

$5.05 MX$85.4

182.57%

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

$1,626 £1,202

$225 MX$3,803

622.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K £16.1K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

416.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 £66.9

$47.44 MX$802

90.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.84 £33.89

$44.98 MX$760

1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 £74.2

$82.0 MX$1,386

22.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £74.5

$92.1 MX$1,557

9.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 £910

$1,069 MX$18.1K

15.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 £780

$405 MX$6,852

160.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 £1,579

$1,935 MX$32.7K

10.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 £1,239

$1,301 MX$22.0K

28.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,359 £3,961

$3,995 MX$67.5K

34.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,345 £3,212

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-34.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,140 £1,582

$749 MX$12.7K

185.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

11.45

-55.37%

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

Last update for Haverhill: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,231 in Haverhill and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haverhill pays 186% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $88.0 in Haverhill vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $277 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Haverhill. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 186% higher in Haverhill, 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: $1,231 in Haverhill versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,401 per month in Haverhill versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 224% less than in Haverhill. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,401 in Haverhill, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Haverhill. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,293 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Haverhill 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 86% less than in Haverhill. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.