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: $2,249 in Hearst versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,255 in Hearst versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,261 in Hearst versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hearst is roughly 78% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hearst is 64% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.48 CA$28.65

$11.60 MX$200

76.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 CA$86.4

$47.11 MX$811

31.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.37 CA$17.30

$11.88 MX$205

4.12%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.29

$3.98 MX$68.5

-5.03%

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

$2.32 CA$3.24

$1.43 MX$24.57

62.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 CA$1.96

$0.82 MX$14.20

70.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 CA$8.04

$3.19 MX$54.9

80.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 CA$7.44

$6.79 MX$117

-21.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 CA$2.91

$1.68 MX$28.85

23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.70

$2.20 MX$37.83

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 CA$4.15

$1.71 MX$29.41

73.10%

Eggs

$3.47 CA$4.85

$2.74 MX$47.20

26.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 CA$14.30

$9.58 MX$165

6.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 CA$16.48

$9.01 MX$155

30.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 CA$21.42

$12.81 MX$221

19.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.52

$2.89 MX$49.74

36.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 CA$1.59

$1.50 MX$25.78

-24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 CA$5.78

$2.15 MX$36.98

92.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.52

$2.26 MX$38.91

74.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.70

$1.98 MX$34.10

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CA$2.99

$1.99 MX$34.26

7.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.46

$1.23 MX$21.25

100.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.30

$1.20 MX$20.60

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 CA$20.31

$4.55 MX$78.3

219.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.07 CA$19.67

$10.37 MX$179

35.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 CA$3.79

$1.62 MX$27.88

67.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CA$4.43

$2.88 MX$49.60

10.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 CA$2.98

$0.60 MX$10.34

255.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.2 CA$78.6

$28.80 MX$496

95.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 CA$4.00

$5.39 MX$92.8

-46.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$3.73 MX$64.2

-57.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.31 CA$34.00

$5.77 MX$99.3

321.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 CA$1.42

$1.54 MX$26.45

-34.42%

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

$28.2K CA$39.5K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

25.28%

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

$19.4K CA$27.2K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

-25.41%

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

$137 CA$192

$91.4 MX$1,573

49.88%

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

$35.47 CA$49.61

$25.20 MX$434

40.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 CA$78.5

$31.24 MX$538

79.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.35 CA$57.8

$67.2 MX$1,157

-38.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 CA$25.84

$29.11 MX$501

-36.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.14 CA$15.59

$4.86 MX$83.7

129.22%

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

$760 CA$1,064

$224 MX$3,851

240.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K CA$16.9K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

185.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 CA$75.9

$47.10 MX$811

15.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.10 CA$54.7

$44.29 MX$763

-11.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 CA$121

$80.1 MX$1,379

7.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 CA$140

$92.7 MX$1,596

8.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,735

$1,063 MX$18.3K

16.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 CA$1,694

$390 MX$6,719

210.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,144 CA$2,999

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 CA$2,445

$1,272 MX$21.9K

37.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,683 CA$5,151

$4,001 MX$68.9K

-7.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,210 CA$5,888

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-35.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,279 CA$4,587

$758 MX$13.1K

332.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

11.45

-59.30%

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

Last update for Hearst: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Hearst and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 333% 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: $62.0 in Hearst vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $276 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 78% in total monthly costs ($2,249 vs $1,266 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 333% higher in Hearst, 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: $1,240 in Hearst versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $760 in Hearst versus $224 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 31% higher in Hearst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,249 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 78% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.