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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,552 in Hvar versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,306 in Hvar versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,061 in Hvar versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hvar is roughly 21% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hvar is 16% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.46 €11.50

$11.94 MX$208

12.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 €62.6

$42.75 MX$744

71.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 €7.71

$10.59 MX$184

-14.83%

Cappuccino

$2.50 €2.13

$3.62 MX$63.0

-30.94%

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

$3.26 €2.78

$1.47 MX$25.54

121.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €1.94

$0.94 MX$16.41

141.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 €3.05

$3.09 MX$53.8

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 €3.69

$4.46 MX$77.6

-3.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.43 MX$24.80

-13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.88 MX$32.79

-18.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.61

$1.63 MX$28.34

87.12%

Eggs

$3.70 €3.16

$2.64 MX$45.99

40.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 €9.23

$8.21 MX$143

31.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.10

$8.29 MX$144

14.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.13 €10.36

$11.10 MX$193

9.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 €1.45

$2.65 MX$46.14

-35.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.50 MX$26.11

10.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.99 MX$34.59

-3.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.10

$2.08 MX$36.13

18.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.13

$1.79 MX$31.11

-25.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 €1.13

$2.18 MX$37.87

-39.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.04

$1.08 MX$18.73

12.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.08

$1.04 MX$18.04

22.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.62 €4.80

$3.97 MX$69.1

41.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.91 €5.90

$10.20 MX$178

-32.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.73 MX$30.04

-13.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.50 MX$43.46

-17.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 €1.48

$0.52 MX$9.02

234.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.66 €37.28

$26.97 MX$469

61.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 €2.57

$3.14 MX$54.7

-4.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$2.40 MX$41.80

-53.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 €7.64

$3.09 MX$53.7

189.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.27 MX$22.16

40.16%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

24.66%

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

$25.8K €22.0K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

10.66%

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

$186 €159

$82.0 MX$1,427

126.96%

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

$22.42 €19.15

$22.45 MX$391

-0.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.25 €26.69

$29.66 MX$516

5.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €43.86

$51.9 MX$903

-1.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.81 €12.65

$18.67 MX$325

-20.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 €7.79

$4.97 MX$86.5

83.50%

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

$240 €205

$198 MX$3,442

21.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,968 €6,805

$5,273 MX$91.7K

51.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €77.9

$36.34 MX$632

150.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 €33.52

$40.05 MX$697

-1.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.9

$79.9 MX$1,390

28.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €89.6

$88.9 MX$1,547

17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 €587

$963 MX$16.8K

-28.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 €449

$465 MX$8,086

13.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 €943

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-30.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 €725

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-29.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,109 €3,509

$3,942 MX$68.6K

4.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,317 €2,833

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-48.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

11.42

-61.91%

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

Last update for Hvar: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Hvar and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73 in Hvar vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $251 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,328 in Hvar and $1,930 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: $687 in Hvar versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $73.0 in Hvar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,552 per month in Hvar versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,552 in Hvar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hvar. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Hvar 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Hvar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.