Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hays, KS and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,737 in Hays, KS, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Hays, KS
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Hays, KS Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Hays, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,737

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hays, KS 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 Hays, KS and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,737 per month in Hays, KS vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Hays, KS $1,737
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,467 per month in Hays, KS vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Hays, KS $2,467
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,198 per month in Hays, KS vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Hays, KS $3,198
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Hays, KS costs about 44% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hays, KS sits 28% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 $13.33

$10.86 MX$201

22.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 $43.87

$44.21 MX$817

-0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 $8.11

$11.76 MX$217

-31.04%

Cappuccino

$3.98 $3.98

$3.68 MX$68.0

8.15%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$1.34 MX$24.79

78.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.82 MX$15.24

24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.06 MX$56.6

25.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.94 MX$91.2

-12.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.47 MX$27.17

-48.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.22 MX$40.95

1.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.48 MX$27.32

201.35%

Eggs

$2.06 $2.06

$2.49 MX$45.99

-17.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$7.52 MX$139

-40.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$7.96 MX$147

12.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$12.57 MX$232

6.05%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.78 MX$51.3

117.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.43 MX$26.37

14.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.62 MX$48.37

93.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.14 MX$39.49

106.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.02 MX$37.38

45.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.99 MX$36.74

9.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.14 MX$21.01

72.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.20 MX$22.18

69.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.68 $9.68

$4.26 MX$78.7

127.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$10.02 MX$185

21.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.54 MX$28.41

44.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.66 MX$49.17

44.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.53 MX$9.73

279.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$4.90 MX$90.6

-50.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$3.43 MX$63.5

-54.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 $39.71

$5.38 MX$99.4

638.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.45 MX$26.76

-36.55%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

32.69%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

12.74%

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

$269 $269

$85.4 MX$1,577

214.76%

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

$34.85 $34.85

$23.46 MX$434

48.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$28.43 MX$525

142.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.17 $45.17

$62.2 MX$1,149

-27.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 $15.21

$5.10 MX$94.3

198.24%

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

$922 $922

$201 MX$3,715

358.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K $15.7K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

298.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.68 $23.68

$44.39 MX$820

-46.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 $31.82

$41.35 MX$764

-23.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$72.7 MX$1,344

50.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$89.6 MX$1,656

53.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 $793

$979 MX$18.1K

-19.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 $589

$373 MX$6,887

58.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 $1,034

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-38.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 $895

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-18.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,386 $2,386

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-39.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 $2,615

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-57.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,386 $2,386

$738 MX$13.6K

223.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

11.45

-41.92%

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

Last update for Hays, KS: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hays, KS

$589 33.9%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 36.7% $216

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hays, KS

$372 21.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 63.1% $235

Groceries & Markets

Hays, KS

$325 18.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 20.6% $67

Eating Out

Hays, KS

$220 12.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 9.1% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Hays, KS

$136 7.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 18.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Hays, KS

$76 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 4.2% $3.2

Getting Around

Hays, KS

$18 * 1.1%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 182% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $793 in Hays, KS versus $979 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 224% higher in Hays, KS, 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 $44.00 in Hays, KS versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Hays, KS vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hays, KS

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

Same time as Hays, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,726

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hays, KS Playa del Carmen 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hays, KS
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

Hays, KS vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hays, KS is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,605 per month in Hays, KS 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Hays, KS and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Hays, KS, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Hays, KS at $1,737. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hays, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Hays, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.