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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $887 in Howick versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Howick versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,818 in Howick versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Howick costs roughly 29% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Howick 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.30 R 54.5

$11.99 MX$209

-72.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.64 R 456

$41.78 MX$728

-33.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.40 R 56.1

$10.75 MX$187

-68.37%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.74

$3.50 MX$60.9

-43.43%

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

$0.57 R 9.44

$1.45 MX$25.22

-60.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 R 7.06

$0.88 MX$15.41

-51.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 R 31.47

$2.95 MX$51.3

-35.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 R 37.45

$4.51 MX$78.6

-49.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R 17.00

$1.43 MX$24.94

-27.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 R 14.36

$1.84 MX$31.99

-52.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 R 18.22

$1.57 MX$27.31

-29.94%

Eggs

$2.21 R 36.42

$2.51 MX$43.74

-11.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 R 84.8

$8.28 MX$144

-37.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.27 R 37.45

$8.43 MX$147

-73.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.03 R 83.0

$10.68 MX$186

-52.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.78

$2.61 MX$45.43

-42.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 R 18.88

$1.44 MX$25.04

-20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 R 21.70

$1.96 MX$34.16

-33.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 R 17.99

$2.09 MX$36.47

-47.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 R 14.04

$1.85 MX$32.24

-54.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.29

$2.17 MX$37.74

-43.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 R 16.14

$1.03 MX$17.96

-4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 15.93

$1.07 MX$18.70

-9.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 R 51.6

$4.10 MX$71.4

-23.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 R 82.3

$10.17 MX$177

-51.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R 17.96

$1.68 MX$29.17

-35.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.66

$2.53 MX$43.98

-55.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.94

$0.51 MX$8.87

219.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 R 26.92

$3.23 MX$56.3

-49.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 R 10.37

$2.41 MX$41.88

-73.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 R 109

$3.23 MX$56.2

104.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.31

$1.32 MX$23.00

-6.82%

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

$14.2K R 234.6K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

-52.13%

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

$22.6K R 372.5K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

-4.61%

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

$145 R 2,400

$82.0 MX$1,428

77.33%

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

$13.94 R 230

$22.95 MX$400

-39.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.12 R 563

$30.11 MX$524

13.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.67 R 506

$52.0 MX$905

-40.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 R 93.3

$4.98 MX$86.6

13.45%

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

$102 R 1,678

$197 MX$3,438

-48.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,645 R 76.7K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

-12.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.49 R 685

$35.60 MX$620

16.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.09 R 233

$40.33 MX$702

-65.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 R 1,390

$78.8 MX$1,371

6.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.67 R 737

$88.9 MX$1,549

-49.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 6,022

$947 MX$16.5K

-61.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 R 5,571

$474 MX$8,254

-28.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 R 11.4K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-57.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 R 11.5K

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-42.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$719 R 11.9K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-82.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$749 R 12.4K

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-88.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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 Howick: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $365 in Howick and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28.00 in Howick vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $137 vs $249 per month, with Howick cheaper across the board.

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

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

Howick is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,330 in Howick and $1,884 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $365 in Howick versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $102 in Howick versus $197 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 Howick – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $887 in Howick versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Howick but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Howick the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Howick 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.

Safety-wise, Howick and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Howick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.