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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $488 in Haroonabad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $716 in Haroonabad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $945 in Haroonabad.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 165% more expensive than in Haroonabad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Haroonabad 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$2.56 PKR 710

357.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$10.84 PKR 3,005

329.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$5.71 PKR 1,582

104.03%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 PKR 1,019

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 PKR 1,456

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$2.49 PKR 689

64.26%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$0.39 PKR 109

251.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$0.26 PKR 72.5

219.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$0.91 PKR 252

90.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$0.67 PKR 185

237.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$1.18 PKR 327

50.00%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$1.24 PKR 345

120.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$6.31 PKR 1,750

45.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$2.52 PKR 698

253.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$4.75 PKR 1,318

165.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$1.16 PKR 322

160.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$0.63 PKR 174

149.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$0.82 PKR 227

159.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$0.64 PKR 178

253.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$0.28 PKR 77.0

614.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$0.33 PKR 91.3

524.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$0.48 PKR 134

145.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$0.37 PKR 103

224.32%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.06 PKR 293

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 PKR 167

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 PKR 456

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$2.10 PKR 581

120.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.17 PKR 46.04

235.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

$10.60 PKR 2,938

181.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$0.88 PKR 244

519.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$0.69 PKR 192

436.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$1.84 PKR 509

225.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.28 PKR 355

21.09%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$18.1K PKR 5.0M

23.04%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$26.6K PKR 7.4M

-2.59%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$121 PKR 33.5K

-26.28%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$5.38 PKR 1,493

365.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$10.67 PKR 2,958

195.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$15.17 PKR 4,205

346.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$4.41 PKR 1,224

14.51%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$10.84 PKR 3,004

1975.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$1,062 PKR 294.5K

297.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$10.66 PKR 2,956

345.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$25.55 PKR 7,084

76.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$74.1 PKR 20.5K

10.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$28.50 PKR 7,901

223.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$122 PKR 33.8K

776.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$84.3 PKR 23.4K

381.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$248 PKR 68.6K

681.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$163 PKR 45.1K

700.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$834 PKR 231.3K

378.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$588 PKR 163.1K

1026.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.22

-19.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Haroonabad: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $122 in Haroonabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $11.00 in Haroonabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $95.0 per month, with Haroonabad 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 Haroonabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haroonabad wins on cost – living expenses run 165% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Haroonabad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,940 in Playa del Carmen and $732 in Haroonabad 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $122 in Haroonabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $10.84 in Haroonabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 191% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $488 in Haroonabad versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Haroonabad but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Haroonabad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Haroonabad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $488 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Haroonabad hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Haroonabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 165% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.