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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,008 in Hamra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,605 in Hamra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,201 in Hamra.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 26% more expensive than in Hamra, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Hamra 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$11.89 LBP 1.1M

-2.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$62.8 LBP 5.6M

-24.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$9.86 LBP 882.9K

20.49%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$4.72 LBP 422.4K

-15.68%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$2.26 LBP 202.7K

-36.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.83 LBP 74.5K

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$4.88 LBP 436.6K

-34.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.91 LBP 439.5K

38.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.95 LBP 174.6K

-13.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.84 LBP 75.4K

161.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.23 LBP 199.2K

-23.32%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.50 LBP 312.9K

-21.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$13.69 LBP 1.2M

-30.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$10.76 LBP 963.0K

-16.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$13.90 LBP 1.2M

-7.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.97 LBP 266.2K

-2.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.71 LBP 152.7K

-12.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.70 LBP 151.9K

26.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.51 LBP 135.4K

49.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.35 LBP 120.8K

46.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.69 LBP 151.4K

17.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.22 LBP 109.1K

0.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.69 LBP 61.7K

73.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.98 LBP 267.1K

52.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$10.10 LBP 903.9K

2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.31 LBP 117.3K

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.47 LBP 220.9K

16.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$5.01 LBP 448.5K

7.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.23 LBP 199.3K

67.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$22.32 LBP 2.0M

-74.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.03 LBP 92.6K

49.51%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$54.3K LBP 4.9B

-58.46%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$32.6K LBP 2.9B

-20.01%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$228 LBP 20.4M

-59.86%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$23.02 LBP 2.1M

9.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$38.32 LBP 3.4M

-18.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$10.04 LBP 898.3K

-51.59%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$690 LBP 61.7M

-67.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$10.6K LBP 946.3M

-60.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$66.9 LBP 6.0M

-29.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$50.2 LBP 4.5M

-11.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$137 LBP 12.3M

-41.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$122 LBP 10.9M

-24.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.09%

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 Hamra: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $63.0 in Hamra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $279 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Hamra differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,008 including rent). Hamra 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 $1,513 in Hamra 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 $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $690 in Hamra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamra – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,008 in Hamra versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hamra but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hamra 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 Hamra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.