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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,366 in Hearst versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,408 in Hearst versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,450 in Hearst versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hearst is roughly 87% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hearst is 76% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 CA$23.23

$11.61 MX$201

46.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 CA$94.8

$42.75 MX$742

61.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 CA$15.08

$10.60 MX$184

3.87%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.22

$3.59 MX$62.3

6.13%

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

$2.04 CA$2.79

$1.45 MX$25.21

40.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.25

$0.90 MX$15.58

82.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.56 CA$7.61

$3.03 MX$52.6

83.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 CA$8.21

$4.56 MX$79.2

31.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CA$2.98

$1.45 MX$25.20

50.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.62

$1.83 MX$31.72

44.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 CA$4.87

$1.61 MX$27.92

121.12%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.82

$2.54 MX$44.05

38.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 CA$15.53

$8.54 MX$148

32.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 CA$16.00

$8.47 MX$147

37.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 CA$20.04

$10.86 MX$189

34.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 CA$5.49

$2.73 MX$47.37

46.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CA$1.92

$1.49 MX$25.91

-6.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.08

$1.94 MX$33.73

91.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.17

$2.16 MX$37.57

74.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.31

$1.85 MX$32.05

30.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.47

$2.19 MX$38.00

15.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CA$3.54

$1.07 MX$18.62

141.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.33

$1.08 MX$18.81

57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.85 CA$18.97

$4.06 MX$70.5

241.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.63 CA$20.04

$10.46 MX$182

39.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 CA$4.05

$1.65 MX$28.71

78.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CA$4.15

$2.55 MX$44.23

18.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.15

$0.56 MX$9.65

310.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 CA$86.3

$26.20 MX$455

140.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.46

$3.14 MX$54.5

3.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.05

$2.37 MX$41.17

-36.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.90 CA$35.48

$3.24 MX$56.2

699.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.61

$1.31 MX$22.81

-10.69%

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

$24.8K CA$34.0K

$30.5K MX$530.2K

-18.70%

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

$20.3K CA$27.8K

$23.8K MX$413.6K

-14.93%

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

$142 CA$195

$83.1 MX$1,443

71.29%

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

$44.44 CA$60.9

$22.15 MX$385

100.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.7 CA$87.2

$29.37 MX$510

116.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 CA$57.8

$51.2 MX$889

-17.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.93 CA$20.45

$18.69 MX$324

-20.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 CA$15.82

$4.89 MX$84.9

136.20%

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

$745 CA$1,020

$199 MX$3,449

274.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$15.9K

$5,207 MX$90.4K

122.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$73.3

$35.93 MX$624

48.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.97 CA$53.4

$39.39 MX$684

-1.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 CA$120

$80.3 MX$1,394

8.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$149

$87.6 MX$1,520

24.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 CA$1,834

$963 MX$16.7K

39.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 CA$1,638

$482 MX$8,370

148.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 CA$2,773

$1,645 MX$28.6K

23.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 CA$2,488

$1,192 MX$20.7K

52.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,297 CA$5,887

$3,957 MX$68.7K

8.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,214 CA$4,403

$6,513 MX$113.1K

-50.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,300 CA$4,521

$726 MX$12.6K

354.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

11.42

-43.43%

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

Last update for Hearst: April 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,339 in Hearst and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 354% 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: $69 in Hearst vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $253 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

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

Hearst and Playa del Carmen differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($2,366 vs $1,262 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hearst pays 354% 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: $1,339 in Hearst versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $745 in Hearst versus $199 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Hearst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,366 in Hearst, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hearst. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.