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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $553 in Hama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $855 in Hama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,156 in Hama.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 129% more expensive than in Hama, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Hama 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.64 SYP 928

51.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$30.17 SYP 3,666

56.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$2.72 SYP 330

336.76%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.13 SYP 137

252.21%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$2.30 SYP 280

-37.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.86 SYP 104

-4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.88 SYP 228

69.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.72 SYP 209

294.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.05 SYP 127

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.41 SYP 49.93

436.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.63 SYP 199

4.91%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.62 SYP 196

69.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$3.89 SYP 472

146.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.56 SYP 675

62.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$13.65 SYP 1,659

-6.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.06 SYP 129

172.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.42 SYP 172

5.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.14 SYP 138

88.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.01 SYP 123

123.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.76 SYP 92.3

160.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.75 SYP 90.8

165.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.40 SYP 49.14

207.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.66 SYP 80.8

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.70 SYP 328

68.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.93 SYP 721

74.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.05 SYP 128

54.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.97 SYP 361

-3.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.17 SYP 21.11

252.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.98 SYP 119

450.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.50 SYP 183

148.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$7.89 SYP 959

-26.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$3.77 SYP 459

-59.15%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$15.0K SYP 1.8M

50.09%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$19.2K SYP 2.3M

35.79%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$142 SYP 17.2K

-35.61%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$9.01 SYP 1,095

179.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$22.85 SYP 2,776

36.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$5.60 SYP 680

-13.21%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$66.5 SYP 8,083

236.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$1,770 SYP 215.0K

138.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$29.01 SYP 3,525

62.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$39.52 SYP 4,801

12.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$60.3 SYP 7,330

32.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$57.4 SYP 6,973

61.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.25

-19.65%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Hama: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Hama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $168 per month, with Hama 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Hama differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $553 including rent). Hama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $830 in Hama 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $553 in Hama – a 129% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $553 in Hama versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hama but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Hama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.