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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $906 in Hamra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,428 in Hamra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,951 in Hamra.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 40% more expensive than 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

$11.87 MX$204

$11.01 LBP 985.7K

7.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$59.2 LBP 5.3M

-27.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.96 LBP 712.8K

33.79%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.41 LBP 305.0K

1.17%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.62 LBP 145.4K

-7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.86 LBP 77.2K

10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.52 LBP 314.8K

-13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$5.09 LBP 455.4K

-9.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.79 LBP 159.9K

-22.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.83 LBP 74.5K

122.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.84 LBP 164.4K

-12.50%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.17 LBP 284.0K

-18.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.44 LBP 1.0M

-27.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$9.53 LBP 853.3K

-12.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.40 LBP 1.0M

-6.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.82 LBP 162.5K

44.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.45 LBP 129.7K

2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.14 LBP 102.1K

68.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.10 LBP 98.1K

90.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.00 LBP 89.8K

86.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.03 LBP 92.3K

119.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.88 LBP 78.6K

20.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.52 LBP 46.4K

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.53 LBP 226.1K

64.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.15 LBP 908.1K

2.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.24 LBP 111.1K

38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.20 LBP 197.1K

18.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.88 LBP 437.1K

-35.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.23 LBP 110.2K

104.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$19.78 LBP 1.8M

-84.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.90 LBP 80.3K

41.11%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.0K LBP 3.1B

-13.16%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.9K LBP 2.5B

-15.41%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$213 LBP 19.0M

-60.96%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$37.51 LBP 3.4M

-39.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$37.72 LBP 3.4M

-21.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.03 LBP 719.1K

-38.61%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$307 LBP 27.5M

-35.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,477 LBP 400.7M

17.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$72.0 LBP 6.4M

-48.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$45.66 LBP 4.1M

-12.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$124 LBP 11.1M

-35.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$93.6 LBP 8.4M

-4.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hamra: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $59.0 in Hamra. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $236, 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 40% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $906 including rent). Hamra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,359 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 $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $307 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 $59.0 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $906 in Hamra versus $1,271 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 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.