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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $897 in Hamra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,413 in Hamra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,928 in Hamra.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 43% more expensive than Hamra, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Hamra 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$10.77 LBP 964.0K

10.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$61.2 LBP 5.5M

-30.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$8.22 LBP 735.7K

28.83%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.39 LBP 303.4K

6.78%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.63 LBP 145.6K

-9.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.88 LBP 79.0K

6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$3.47 LBP 310.9K

-10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$5.03 LBP 450.4K

-11.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.70 LBP 152.4K

-15.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.85 LBP 75.7K

121.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.84 LBP 164.8K

-11.41%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$3.11 LBP 278.6K

-15.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$11.33 LBP 1.0M

-27.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$9.41 LBP 842.0K

-11.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$11.21 LBP 1.0M

-0.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.79 LBP 160.0K

48.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.51 LBP 135.4K

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.15 LBP 103.1K

73.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.09 LBP 97.7K

90.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.92 LBP 82.7K

94.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.05 LBP 93.8K

107.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.87 LBP 78.0K

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.55 LBP 49.4K

89.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.52 LBP 225.7K

57.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$10.88 LBP 973.7K

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.24 LBP 110.5K

39.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.20 LBP 196.8K

13.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$4.91 LBP 439.8K

-36.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.27 LBP 113.7K

88.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$19.95 LBP 1.8M

-84.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.96 LBP 86.2K

32.29%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$35.3K LBP 3.2B

-12.47%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$28.1K LBP 2.5B

-16.94%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$212 LBP 19.0M

-61.38%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$37.50 LBP 3.4M

-40.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$36.72 LBP 3.3M

-19.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.89 LBP 706.1K

-37.01%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$300 LBP 26.9M

-34.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,409 LBP 394.6M

19.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$70.1 LBP 6.3M

-48.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$45.84 LBP 4.1M

-12.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$121 LBP 10.8M

-33.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$95.7 LBP 8.6M

-7.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Hamra: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $61.0 in Hamra. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $897 including rent). Hamra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,345 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 $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $300 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 $61.0 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $897 in Hamra versus $1,287 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 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.