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 $1,320 per month in Hillcrest vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,876 per month in Hillcrest vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,431 per month in Hillcrest vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Hillcrest costs about 5% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Hillcrest and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Hillcrest 1% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.78 R 128

$11.72 MX$203

-33.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.38 R 467

$41.89 MX$725

-32.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 R 83.3

$10.51 MX$182

-51.86%

Cappuccino

$1.91 R 31.48

$3.59 MX$62.0

-46.80%

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

$0.87 R 14.25

$1.51 MX$26.10

-42.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 R 11.10

$0.92 MX$15.83

-27.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 R 32.96

$2.96 MX$51.2

-32.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R 36.60

$4.41 MX$76.3

-49.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 R 14.46

$1.40 MX$24.16

-37.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 R 9.48

$1.88 MX$32.60

-69.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.65

$1.56 MX$26.97

-23.72%

Eggs

$2.11 R 34.79

$2.61 MX$45.14

-19.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 R 119

$8.32 MX$144

-13.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 R 63.4

$8.35 MX$145

-53.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.19 R 102

$10.86 MX$188

-43.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.77

$2.71 MX$46.93

-46.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 R 18.22

$1.51 MX$26.04

-26.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 R 21.87

$1.87 MX$32.41

-28.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 R 22.38

$2.19 MX$37.89

-37.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R 21.43

$1.86 MX$32.14

-30.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R 19.94

$2.23 MX$38.59

-45.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 R 16.65

$1.07 MX$18.48

-5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.39

$1.09 MX$18.79

-20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 R 47.23

$4.19 MX$72.4

-31.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.85 R 79.8

$10.43 MX$180

-53.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 R 24.22

$1.66 MX$28.68

-11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 R 29.15

$2.61 MX$45.19

-32.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 R 26.59

$0.54 MX$9.37

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 R 27.22

$3.08 MX$53.3

-46.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 R 9.71

$2.40 MX$41.61

-75.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 R 111

$3.13 MX$54.1

115.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R 22.01

$1.31 MX$22.69

2.29%

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

$20.4K R 335.5K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-31.63%

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

$24.4K R 402.0K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

4.71%

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

$143 R 2,359

$81.3 MX$1,406

76.32%

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

$29.41 R 484

$22.56 MX$390

30.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.35 R 549

$30.05 MX$520

10.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.76 R 506

$52.9 MX$915

-41.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 R 111

$4.92 MX$85.1

37.40%

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

$207 R 3,406

$201 MX$3,474

3.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,558 R 75.0K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-11.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.34 R 697

$35.92 MX$622

17.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.39 R 500

$40.13 MX$694

-24.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 R 1,565

$79.7 MX$1,379

19.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 R 1,210

$86.5 MX$1,496

-14.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 R 5,944

$978 MX$16.9K

-63.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$679 R 11.2K

$470 MX$8,140

44.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 R 11.3K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-58.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 R 18.5K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-6.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$904 R 14.9K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-77.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$695 R 11.4K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-89.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.01

11.42

5.17%

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

Last update for Hillcrest: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $361 in Hillcrest versus $978 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 $28.00 in Hillcrest versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $252 – 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: $1,320 in Hillcrest, $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 5% apart. Hillcrest costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,980 per month in Hillcrest and $1,890 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 Playa del Carmen, 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 $28.00 in Hillcrest and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 63% cheaper in Hillcrest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,260, than in Hillcrest at $1,320. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hillcrest 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen to $1,320 in Hillcrest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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