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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $510 in Horana versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $834 in Horana versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,157 in Horana versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Horana costs roughly 60% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Horana 62% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.96 LKR 1,254

$11.67 MX$202

-66.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.96 LKR 7,900

$41.88 MX$726

-40.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.59 LKR 2,718

$10.40 MX$180

-17.40%

Cappuccino

$2.66 LKR 840

$3.61 MX$62.6

-26.32%

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

$0.68 LKR 215

$1.47 MX$25.45

-53.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 LKR 128

$0.91 MX$15.80

-56.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 LKR 732

$3.03 MX$52.6

-23.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 LKR 1,029

$4.47 MX$77.4

-27.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 LKR 562

$1.38 MX$23.83

28.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 LKR 163

$1.84 MX$31.93

-72.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 LKR 273

$1.61 MX$27.82

-46.58%

Eggs

$2.16 LKR 684

$2.57 MX$44.52

-15.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 LKR 4,539

$8.49 MX$147

68.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 LKR 1,508

$8.49 MX$147

-43.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.95 LKR 2,518

$10.99 MX$190

-27.66%

Apples (1kg)

$7.68 LKR 2,430

$2.73 MX$47.25

181.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 LKR 335

$1.50 MX$25.92

-29.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 LKR 1,882

$1.96 MX$33.93

203.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 LKR 378

$2.12 MX$36.70

-43.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 LKR 367

$1.86 MX$32.30

-37.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 LKR 432

$2.17 MX$37.67

-36.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 LKR 377

$1.07 MX$18.59

11.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 LKR 178

$1.05 MX$18.18

-46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.20 LKR 3,230

$4.19 MX$72.6

143.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.40 LKR 3,924

$10.28 MX$178

20.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 LKR 654

$1.67 MX$28.87

23.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 949

$2.49 MX$43.12

20.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 131

$3.10 MX$53.8

-86.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 LKR 104

$2.46 MX$42.66

-86.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 LKR 182

$3.24 MX$56.1

-82.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 LKR 379

$1.26 MX$21.83

-4.76%

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

$26.3K LKR 8.3M

$30.2K MX$522.8K

-12.78%

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

$35.1K LKR 11.1M

$23.4K MX$406.3K

49.92%

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

$60.4 LKR 19.1K

$84.0 MX$1,456

-28.11%

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

$1.65 LKR 522

$22.21 MX$385

-92.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.07 LKR 1,605

$29.65 MX$514

-82.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$3.25 LKR 1,029

$4.95 MX$85.7

-34.34%

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

$36.75 LKR 11.6K

$198 MX$3,438

-81.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$433 LKR 137.0K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

-91.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.80 LKR 8,800

$35.95 MX$623

-22.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.11 LKR 6,049

$40.06 MX$694

-52.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.6 LKR 22.0K

$78.8 MX$1,365

-11.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.83 LKR 12.3K

$86.5 MX$1,499

-55.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

11.42

44.05%

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

Last update for Horana: April 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $0 in Horana and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25 in Horana vs $42 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $252, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Horana is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 147% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $765 in Horana and $1,891 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $36.75 in Horana versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Horana – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $510 in Horana versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Horana but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Horana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Horana is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Horana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 147% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.