Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hermosa Beach, CA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,748 in Hermosa Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hermosa Beach, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,748
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,748 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Hermosa Beach, CA $2,748
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,129 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Hermosa Beach, CA $4,129
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $5,511 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Hermosa Beach, CA $5,511
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Hermosa Beach, CA costs about 128% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hermosa Beach, CA sits 103% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hermosa Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.31 $25.31
$10.86 MX$201
133.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$121 $121
$44.21 MX$817
172.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.05 $15.05
$11.76 MX$217
27.98%
Cappuccino
$6.10 $6.10
$3.68 MX$68.0
65.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 $3.07
$1.34 MX$24.79
129.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 $2.32
$0.82 MX$15.24
182.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.88 $7.88
$3.06 MX$56.6
157.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.03 $10.03
$4.94 MX$91.2
103.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hermosa Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.47 MX$27.17
-12.93%
White Bread (500g)
$4.70 $4.70
$2.22 MX$40.95
111.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.74 $4.74
$1.48 MX$27.32
220.27%
Eggs
$5.51 $5.51
$2.49 MX$45.99
121.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.56 $11.56
$7.52 MX$139
53.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.02 $9.02
$7.96 MX$147
13.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.23 $19.23
$12.57 MX$232
52.98%
Apples (1kg)
$4.69 $4.69
$2.78 MX$51.3
68.71%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 $2.30
$1.43 MX$26.37
60.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.95 $3.95
$2.62 MX$48.37
50.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.59 $5.59
$2.14 MX$39.49
161.21%
Potato (1kg)
$3.24 $3.24
$2.02 MX$37.38
60.40%
Onion (1kg)
$2.90 $2.90
$1.99 MX$36.74
45.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.00 $2.00
$1.14 MX$21.01
75.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$1.20 MX$22.18
104.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.95 $11.95
$4.26 MX$78.7
180.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.87 $14.87
$10.02 MX$185
48.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$1.54 MX$28.41
59.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 $2.77
$2.66 MX$49.17
4.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Hermosa Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.96 $1.96
$0.53 MX$9.73
269.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.51 MX$508
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 $3.04
$4.90 MX$90.6
-37.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 $1.82
$3.43 MX$63.5
-46.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.13 $32.13
$5.38 MX$99.4
497.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.45 MX$26.76
6.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K $29.0K
$21.2K MX$391.0K
36.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K $26.9K
$23.0K MX$425.3K
16.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hermosa Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 $217
$85.4 MX$1,577
154.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$77.3 $77.3
$23.46 MX$434
229.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$76.2 $76.2
$28.43 MX$525
168.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hermosa Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.90 $41.90
$62.2 MX$1,149
-32.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.06 $15.06
$28.68 MX$530
-47.49%
Cinema Ticket
$17.68 $17.68
$5.10 MX$94.3
246.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hermosa Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,636 $1,636
$201 MX$3,715
713.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.5K $12.5K
$3,947 MX$72.9K
215.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hermosa Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 $61.7
$44.39 MX$820
38.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.44 $48.44
$41.35 MX$764
17.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 $106
$72.7 MX$1,344
45.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$89.6 MX$1,656
16.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hermosa Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,566 $1,566
$979 MX$18.1K
59.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,314 $1,314
$373 MX$6,887
252.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,537 $2,537
$1,681 MX$31.1K
50.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,150 $2,150
$1,095 MX$20.2K
96.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,944 $2,944
$3,949 MX$73.0K
-25.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,224 $2,224
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-63.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hermosa Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,062 $7,062
$738 MX$13.6K
857.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.31
11.45
-44.89%

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

Last update for Hermosa Beach, CA: October 20, 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
Hermosa Beach, CA
$1.3K
Playa del Carmen
$373 71.6% $941
Groceries & Markets
Hermosa Beach, CA
$420
Playa del Carmen
$258 38.4% $161
Eating Out
Hermosa Beach, CA
$402
Playa del Carmen
$200 50.2% $202
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hermosa Beach, CA
$371
Playa del Carmen
$137 63% $233
Clothing & Footwear
Hermosa Beach, CA
$144
Playa del Carmen
$112 22.5% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Hermosa Beach, CA
$77
Playa del Carmen
$72 6.3% $4.9
Getting Around
Hermosa Beach, CA
$20 *
Playa del Carmen
$52 159% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,566 in Hermosa Beach, CA 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 858% higher in Hermosa Beach, CA, 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 $121 in Hermosa Beach, CA versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Hermosa Beach, CA
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
15:38 3:38 PM
17:38 5:38 PM
2 h ahead of Hermosa Beach, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,728
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hermosa Beach, CA Playa del Carmen 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hermosa Beach, CA
  • 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
Hermosa Beach, CA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Hermosa Beach, CA?
Yes – Hermosa Beach, CA is pricier by about 128%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,121 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Hermosa Beach, CA and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,748 in Hermosa Beach, CA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 128%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,636 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Hermosa Beach, CA or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Hermosa Beach, CA at $2,748. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hermosa Beach, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Hermosa Beach, CA or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Hermosa Beach, CA or Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hermosa Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Hermosa Beach, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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