Cost of Living Comparison Between Hawkesbury City and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Hawkesbury City and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,148 in Hawkesbury City versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,199 in Hawkesbury City versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,251 in Hawkesbury City versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hawkesbury City is roughly 67% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hawkesbury City is 60% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.08 A$15.41

$11.94 MX$208

-7.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 A$121

$42.75 MX$744

103.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 A$13.10

$10.59 MX$184

-11.05%

Cappuccino

$3.15 A$4.39

$3.62 MX$63.0

-12.98%

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

$2.42 A$3.37

$1.47 MX$25.54

64.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 A$2.77

$0.94 MX$16.41

112.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 A$9.01

$3.09 MX$53.8

109.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 A$10.36

$4.46 MX$77.6

67.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.57

$1.43 MX$24.80

-20.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.70

$1.88 MX$32.79

41.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 A$2.45

$1.63 MX$28.34

7.98%

Eggs

$3.22 A$4.48

$2.64 MX$45.99

21.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 A$14.19

$8.21 MX$143

24.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.69 A$12.08

$8.29 MX$144

4.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.92 A$20.74

$11.10 MX$193

34.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.08

$2.65 MX$46.14

-16.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.59

$1.50 MX$26.11

72.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.57

$1.99 MX$34.59

29.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 A$6.49

$2.08 MX$36.13

124.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.22

$1.79 MX$31.11

29.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 A$2.69

$2.18 MX$37.87

-11.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.43

$1.08 MX$18.73

127.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 A$0.75

$1.04 MX$18.04

-48.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.33 A$43.54

$3.97 MX$69.1

689.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 A$14.74

$10.20 MX$178

3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.10 A$7.09

$1.73 MX$30.04

194.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 A$8.09

$2.50 MX$43.46

132.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 A$3.57

$0.52 MX$9.02

394.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 A$89.1

$26.97 MX$469

137.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 A$5.44

$3.14 MX$54.7

24.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 A$2.50

$2.40 MX$41.80

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.43 A$56.2

$3.09 MX$53.7

1208.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.27 MX$22.16

-6.30%

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

$25.9K A$36.0K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-16.04%

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

$19.4K A$26.9K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

-16.99%

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

$163 A$226

$82.0 MX$1,427

98.27%

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

$29.10 A$40.45

$22.45 MX$391

29.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 A$73.0

$29.66 MX$516

77.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.47 A$68.8

$51.9 MX$903

-4.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.94 A$22.15

$18.67 MX$325

-14.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 A$15.65

$4.97 MX$86.5

126.56%

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

$1,750 A$2,433

$198 MX$3,442

784.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K A$18.7K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

155.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 A$97.4

$36.34 MX$632

92.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 A$78.8

$40.05 MX$697

41.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 A$110

$79.9 MX$1,390

-1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 A$158

$88.9 MX$1,547

27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 A$1,768

$963 MX$16.8K

32.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 A$1,456

$465 MX$8,086

125.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 A$2,771

$1,596 MX$27.8K

24.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 A$2,307

$1,209 MX$21.0K

37.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,347 A$7,433

$3,942 MX$68.6K

35.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,196 A$7,223

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-19.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,537 A$6,306

$720 MX$12.5K

529.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

11.42

-44.92%

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

Last update for Hawkesbury City: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,272 in Hawkesbury City and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hawkesbury City pays 530% 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: $87.0 in Hawkesbury City vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $251 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Hawkesbury City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Hawkesbury City pays 530% 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: $1,272 in Hawkesbury City versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Hawkesbury City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $87.0 in Hawkesbury City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,148 in Hawkesbury City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hawkesbury City. 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 $1,287 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hawkesbury City 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 67% less than in Hawkesbury City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.