Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,005 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,005

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,005 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Hong Kong $3,005
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,643 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,643
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $6,281 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,281
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Hong Kong costs about 150% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 122% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.80 HK$61.2

$10.86 MX$201

-28.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$44.21 MX$817

46.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 HK$48.97

$11.76 MX$217

-46.94%

Cappuccino

$5.01 HK$39.34

$3.68 MX$68.0

36.14%

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

$1.29 HK$10.12

$1.34 MX$24.79

-3.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 HK$8.74

$0.82 MX$15.24

35.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 HK$61.0

$3.06 MX$56.6

153.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.41 HK$50.3

$4.94 MX$91.2

29.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.90 HK$22.79

$1.47 MX$27.17

97.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 HK$18.29

$2.22 MX$40.95

4.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 HK$17.51

$1.48 MX$27.32

50.68%

Eggs

$3.45 HK$27.04

$2.49 MX$45.99

38.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.96 HK$196

$7.52 MX$139

231.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 HK$69.0

$7.96 MX$147

10.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 HK$139

$12.57 MX$232

40.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 HK$32.59

$2.78 MX$51.3

49.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 HK$20.62

$1.43 MX$26.37

83.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 HK$35.65

$2.62 MX$48.37

73.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 HK$32.08

$2.14 MX$39.49

91.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 HK$25.25

$2.02 MX$37.38

59.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 HK$25.56

$1.99 MX$36.74

63.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 HK$12.94

$1.14 MX$21.01

44.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.62

$1.20 MX$22.18

45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.45 HK$106

$4.26 MX$78.7

215.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 HK$119

$10.02 MX$185

51.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 HK$15.44

$1.54 MX$28.41

27.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 HK$17.42

$2.66 MX$49.17

-16.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 HK$10.04

$0.53 MX$9.73

141.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.1 HK$707

$27.51 MX$508

227.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 HK$28.84

$4.90 MX$90.6

-25.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 HK$10.60

$3.43 MX$63.5

-60.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.21 HK$127

$5.38 MX$99.4

201.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.20 HK$32.94

$1.45 MX$26.76

189.66%

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

$44.9K HK$352.2K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

112.11%

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

$36.8K HK$288.9K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

59.94%

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

$238 HK$1,865

$85.4 MX$1,577

178.34%

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

$15.70 HK$123

$23.46 MX$434

-33.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.91 HK$172

$28.43 MX$525

-22.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.1 HK$715

$62.2 MX$1,149

46.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.14 HK$71.8

$28.68 MX$530

-68.13%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 HK$102

$5.10 MX$94.3

154.12%

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

$1,172 HK$9,201

$201 MX$3,715

483.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K HK$174.2K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

462.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 HK$533

$44.39 MX$820

53.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.57 HK$342

$41.35 MX$764

5.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 HK$652

$72.7 MX$1,344

14.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 HK$963

$89.6 MX$1,656

36.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 HK$17.7K

$979 MX$18.1K

130.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 HK$13.7K

$373 MX$6,887

370.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,173 HK$40.6K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

207.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

223.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.3K HK$229.7K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

641.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.5K HK$137.1K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

184.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,285 HK$25.8K

$738 MX$13.6K

345.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.45

-66.90%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 17, 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

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.3%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 78.7% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$410 13.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 37% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$275 9.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 50.1% $138

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$203 6.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 1.2% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$143 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 21.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$117 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 38.2% $45

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$106 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 51.1% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,255 in Hong Kong 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 345% higher in Hong Kong, 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 $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:14 12:14 PM

23:14 11:14 PM

13 h behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 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).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Playa del Carmen 14,720 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,005 in Hong Kong, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 150% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,508 per month in Hong Kong and $1,806 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 $65.0 in Hong Kong and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,005 in Hong Kong and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 150%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Hong Kong at $3,005. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $3,005 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

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