Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kahului, HI and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,954 in Kahului, HI, rent and utilities included – about $33,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

Cost of Living Index in Kahului, HI
Learn more

Kahului, HI Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Kahului, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,954

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,954 in Kahului, HI versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Kahului, HI $3,954
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,700 in Kahului, HI versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Kahului, HI $5,700
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,446 in Kahului, HI versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Kahului, HI $7,446
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Kahului, HI is roughly 228% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kahului, HI is 192% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$47.08 $47.08

$10.86 MX$201

333.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 $74.9

$44.21 MX$817

69.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.49 $18.49

$11.76 MX$217

57.23%

Cappuccino

$7.05 $7.05

$3.68 MX$68.0

91.58%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$1.34 MX$24.79

116.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$0.82 MX$15.24

335.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$3.06 MX$56.6

64.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 $7.57

$4.94 MX$91.2

53.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.47 MX$27.17

-1.36%

White Bread (500g)

$6.88 $6.88

$2.22 MX$40.95

209.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.07 $9.07

$1.48 MX$27.32

512.84%

Eggs

$6.60 $6.60

$2.49 MX$45.99

165.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 $9.06

$7.52 MX$139

20.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.18 $15.18

$7.96 MX$147

90.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.94 $19.94

$12.57 MX$232

58.63%

Apples (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$2.78 MX$51.3

358.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.43 MX$26.37

90.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

Tomato (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$2.14 MX$39.49

551.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 $5.94

$2.66 MX$49.17

123.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.53 MX$9.73

283.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.95 $44.95

$27.51 MX$508

63.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.41 $35.41

$5.38 MX$99.4

558.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.45 MX$26.76

-11.03%

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

$40.6K $40.6K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

91.98%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

14.28%

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

$289 $289

$85.4 MX$1,577

238.32%

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

$70.4 $70.4

$23.46 MX$434

200.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 $51.5

$28.43 MX$525

81.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 $56.0

$44.39 MX$820

26.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 $39.51

$41.35 MX$764

-4.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 $96.6

$72.7 MX$1,344

32.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$89.6 MX$1,656

37.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,317 $2,317

$979 MX$18.1K

136.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,295 $2,295

$373 MX$6,887

515.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,012 $4,012

$1,681 MX$31.1K

138.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,811 $3,811

$1,095 MX$20.2K

247.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K $11.1K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

179.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K $11.3K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

84.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,757 $4,757

$738 MX$13.6K

545.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Kahului, HI: October 18, 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

Kahului, HI

$2.3K 58%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 83.8% $1.9K

Eating Out

Kahului, HI

$583 14.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 65.7% $383

Groceries & Markets

Kahului, HI

$470 * 11.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 45.1% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kahului, HI

$411 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 66.6% $273

Clothing & Footwear

Kahului, HI

$142 3.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 21.4% $30

Getting Around

Kahului, HI

$53 * 1.3%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 2.6% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Kahului, HI

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,317 in Kahului, HI and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kahului, HI pays 545% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Kahului, HI vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kahului, HI

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:52 12:52 AM

05:52 5:52 AM

5 h ahead of Kahului, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,337

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kahului, HI Playa del Carmen 7,150 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Kahului, HI
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

Kahului, HI vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 228% lower than in Kahului, HI. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 545% higher in Kahului, HI, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,317 in Kahului, HI versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Kahului, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,954 per month in Kahului, HI versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 228% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,954 in Kahului, HI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kahului, HI. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,204 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kahului, HI 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 228% less than in Kahului, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.