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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,856 in Harish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,350 in Harish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,844 in Harish.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 56% less than in Harish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Harish is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$26.66 ₪81.0

-56.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$104 ₪315

-54.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$17.95 ₪54.6

-33.82%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$4.66 ₪14.15

-14.59%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$3.71 ₪11.27

-61.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$2.76 ₪8.39

-70.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$10.82 ₪32.91

-70.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$9.98 ₪30.34

-31.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.72 ₪8.26

-38.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$4.86 ₪14.78

-54.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$3.03 ₪9.20

-43.56%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$4.71 ₪14.31

-41.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$13.20 ₪40.11

-27.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$20.42 ₪62.1

-55.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$23.20 ₪70.5

-44.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$6.60 ₪20.07

-56.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.99 ₪9.09

-49.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.90 ₪8.83

-25.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$3.57 ₪10.85

-36.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.70 ₪5.15

16.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.42 ₪4.33

40.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$2.44 ₪7.43

-49.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$2.20 ₪6.69

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$10.09 ₪30.67

-54.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$12.93 ₪39.30

-19.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$3.52 ₪10.69

-53.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$4.01 ₪12.19

-28.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$2.30 ₪7.00

-73.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$100 ₪305

-71.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$3.89 ₪11.82

38.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.17 ₪3.55

218.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$28.76 ₪87.4

-79.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$2.62 ₪7.95

-41.22%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$58.2K ₪177.1K

-61.28%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$58.5K ₪177.8K

-55.45%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$195 ₪593

-53.13%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$14.79 ₪44.97

70.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$55.4 ₪168

-43.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$72.9 ₪222

-7.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$16.50 ₪50.2

-70.55%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$1,324 ₪4,025

-83.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$28.1K ₪85.5K

-84.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$127 ₪388

-63.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$64.3 ₪196

-31.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$172 ₪524

-53.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$257 ₪782

-63.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$1,496 ₪4,547

-28.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$1,133 ₪3,444

-65.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$2,534 ₪7,704

-15.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$2,057 ₪6,255

-38.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$9,708 ₪29.5K

-58.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$6,691 ₪20.3K

-2.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.5

227.14%

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 Harish: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $1,496 in Harish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $104 in Harish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $494 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 Harish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $4,283 in Harish 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,496 in Harish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 248% less than in Harish. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,324 in Harish. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,856 in Harish, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Harish. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Harish, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Harish are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Harish. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.