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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $893 in Hamra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,403 in Hamra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,913 in Hamra.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 41% more expensive than in Hamra, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Hamra 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$10.80 LBP 966.9K

8.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$60.0 LBP 5.4M

-30.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.81 LBP 698.8K

34.57%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.31 LBP 296.3K

8.46%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.58 LBP 141.1K

-4.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.94 LBP 84.4K

-2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$3.56 LBP 318.7K

-16.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$5.04 LBP 451.2K

-12.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.76 LBP 157.8K

-20.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.85 LBP 76.0K

121.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.77 LBP 158.0K

-11.86%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$3.22 LBP 288.2K

-18.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$11.11 LBP 994.0K

-25.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$9.57 LBP 856.4K

-12.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$11.46 LBP 1.0M

-5.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.79 LBP 159.8K

51.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.51 LBP 135.2K

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.14 LBP 102.2K

64.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.04 LBP 93.0K

110.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.01 LBP 90.4K

84.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.04 LBP 93.1K

114.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.89 LBP 79.3K

20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.56 LBP 50.1K

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.45 LBP 219.2K

71.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$9.86 LBP 882.8K

5.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.24 LBP 111.3K

33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.13 LBP 190.4K

22.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.97 LBP 444.8K

-38.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.21 LBP 108.6K

98.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$20.02 LBP 1.8M

-84.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.90 LBP 80.3K

45.56%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$34.5K LBP 3.1B

-13.56%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$28.0K LBP 2.5B

-16.63%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$219 LBP 19.6M

-62.89%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$37.60 LBP 3.4M

-40.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$37.17 LBP 3.3M

-19.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$7.88 LBP 705.4K

-37.56%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$308 LBP 27.6M

-34.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,427 LBP 396.3M

16.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$69.8 LBP 6.2M

-48.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$44.83 LBP 4.0M

-10.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$123 LBP 11.0M

-35.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$92.6 LBP 8.3M

-6.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.16

2.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hamra: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $60.0 in Hamra. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $235, with Hamra cheaper for home cooking.

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 41% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $893 including rent). Hamra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,339 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $308 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 $60.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $893 in Hamra versus $1,260 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 41% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.