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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,110 per month in Hillcrest vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,730 per month in Hillcrest vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,350 per month in Hillcrest vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Hillcrest is about 12% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Hillcrest and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Hillcrest 19% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 R 124

$11.60 MX$200

-34.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.61 R 627

$47.11 MX$811

-18.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 R 103

$11.88 MX$205

-46.80%

Cappuccino

$2.86 R 46.49

$3.98 MX$68.5

-28.14%

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

$1.18 R 19.09

$1.43 MX$24.57

-17.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.19

$0.82 MX$14.20

6.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.55

$3.19 MX$54.9

-19.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R 44.40

$6.79 MX$117

-59.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 R 20.98

$1.68 MX$28.85

-23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.42

$2.20 MX$37.83

-54.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.25

$1.71 MX$29.41

-5.26%

Eggs

$2.45 R 39.85

$2.74 MX$47.20

-10.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 R 135

$9.58 MX$165

-12.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 R 86.8

$9.01 MX$155

-40.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.14 R 116

$12.81 MX$221

-44.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 R 20.67

$2.89 MX$49.74

-56.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.86

$1.50 MX$25.78

26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 R 31.97

$2.15 MX$36.98

-8.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.91

$2.26 MX$38.91

-26.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.95

$1.98 MX$34.10

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.58

$1.99 MX$34.26

-27.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 R 19.71

$1.23 MX$21.25

-1.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.41

$1.20 MX$20.60

-0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 R 59.9

$4.55 MX$78.3

-18.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 R 80.9

$10.37 MX$179

-51.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 24.72

$1.62 MX$27.88

-6.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 R 32.45

$2.88 MX$49.60

-30.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 R 24.77

$0.60 MX$10.34

153.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 R 7.38

$5.39 MX$92.8

-91.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R 12.52

$3.73 MX$64.2

-79.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 R 126

$5.77 MX$99.3

34.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.13

$1.54 MX$26.45

-3.25%

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

$37.2K R 604.1K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

64.92%

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

$33.2K R 539.4K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

27.42%

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

$143 R 2,326

$91.4 MX$1,573

56.64%

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

$35.30 R 574

$25.20 MX$434

40.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.45 R 657

$31.24 MX$538

29.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.69 R 531

$67.2 MX$1,157

-51.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$6.92 R 112

$4.86 MX$83.7

42.39%

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

$330 R 5,358

$224 MX$3,851

47.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,825 R 127.1K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

85.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 R 922

$47.10 MX$811

20.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.12 R 489

$44.29 MX$763

-31.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 R 1,620

$80.1 MX$1,379

24.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 R 1,440

$92.7 MX$1,596

-4.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 R 7,077

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-59.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 R 6,204

$390 MX$6,719

-2.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 R 13.0K

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-62.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 R 12.3K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-40.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 R 14.4K

$4,001 MX$68.9K

-77.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$701 R 11.4K

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-89.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.81

11.45

3.14%

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

Last update for Hillcrest: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $436 in Hillcrest versus $1,063 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Hillcrest versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $276 – making Hillcrest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,110 in Hillcrest, $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 14% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,664 per month in Hillcrest and $1,899 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 Hillcrest, 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 $39.00 in Hillcrest and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hillcrest, where all-in costs run around $1,110, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Hillcrest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,110 in Hillcrest to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Hillcrest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.