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: $2,322 in Hearst versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,334 in Hearst versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Hearst versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hearst is roughly 83% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hearst is 73% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 CA$23.87

$11.87 MX$204

43.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$99.2

$42.90 MX$736

65.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$15.71

$10.65 MX$183

5.63%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CA$5.40

$3.45 MX$59.2

12.17%

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

$1.99 CA$2.78

$1.50 MX$25.81

32.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.39

$0.95 MX$16.28

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 CA$7.91

$3.03 MX$51.9

86.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 CA$8.36

$4.61 MX$79.1

29.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$1.38 MX$23.61

59.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 CA$3.66

$1.85 MX$31.70

41.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.95

$1.61 MX$27.65

119.88%

Eggs

$3.50 CA$4.88

$2.59 MX$44.51

35.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 CA$15.85

$8.26 MX$142

37.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.88 CA$16.58

$8.37 MX$144

41.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 CA$20.49

$10.66 MX$183

37.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.53

$2.63 MX$45.12

50.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.98

$1.49 MX$25.53

-4.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.23

$1.92 MX$32.94

95.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.34

$2.09 MX$35.81

82.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.46

$1.86 MX$31.88

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.54

$2.26 MX$38.81

12.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.65

$1.06 MX$18.23

147.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 CA$2.47

$1.09 MX$18.67

62.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.93 CA$19.45

$4.15 MX$71.2

235.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.39 CA$15.91

$10.39 MX$178

9.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.94

$1.72 MX$29.59

63.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CA$4.26

$2.61 MX$44.85

16.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 CA$3.29

$0.54 MX$9.30

337.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.5 CA$87.2

$26.94 MX$462

131.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.36

$3.13 MX$53.7

-0.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CA$2.02

$2.51 MX$43.09

-42.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.96 CA$36.25

$3.15 MX$54.1

724.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$1.27 MX$21.88

-7.87%

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

$25.1K CA$35.0K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-17.45%

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

$20.9K CA$29.2K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-11.42%

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

$141 CA$197

$83.0 MX$1,425

70.13%

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

$44.19 CA$61.7

$22.71 MX$390

94.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 CA$89.1

$29.46 MX$506

116.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.68 CA$59.6

$51.0 MX$875

-16.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.45 CA$20.17

$18.33 MX$315

-21.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.49 CA$16.05

$4.93 MX$84.5

133.06%

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

$740 CA$1,033

$197 MX$3,386

274.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.5K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

123.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 CA$77.4

$36.90 MX$633

50.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 CA$54.6

$39.89 MX$685

-1.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 CA$122

$80.0 MX$1,373

8.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$149

$89.5 MX$1,536

19.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 CA$1,803

$956 MX$16.4K

35.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 CA$1,666

$477 MX$8,189

150.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 CA$2,869

$1,646 MX$28.3K

24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 CA$2,551

$1,225 MX$21.0K

49.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,224 CA$5,899

$3,918 MX$67.2K

7.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,638 CA$5,081

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-43.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,208 CA$4,480

$667 MX$11.4K

381.01%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,291 in Hearst and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 381% 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: $71.0 in Hearst vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $250 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 83% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $1,271 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hearst pays 381% 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: $1,291 in Hearst versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $740 in Hearst versus $197 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 45% higher in Hearst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,322 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 83% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.