Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hato Mayor del Rey Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hato Mayor del Rey

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $700 in Hato Mayor del Rey, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,109 in Hato Mayor del Rey, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,518 in Hato Mayor del Rey, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 85% more than Hato Mayor del Rey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Hato Mayor del Rey are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Hato Mayor del Rey 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.73 DOP 159

329.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$27.39 DOP 1,598

51.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.64 DOP 387

60.24%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$0.82 DOP 47.72

329.27%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.53 DOP 30.69

184.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.49 DOP 28.41

97.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.48 DOP 145

18.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.30 DOP 192

34.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.11 DOP 64.9

24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.72 DOP 100

9.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.56 DOP 90.7

5.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.20 DOP 70.0

109.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.97 DOP 407

19.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.40 DOP 373

30.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$11.14 DOP 650

-3.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.16 DOP 184

-17.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.87 DOP 51.0

67.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.89 DOP 169

-34.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.91 DOP 112

8.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.51 DOP 147

-29.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.36 DOP 138

-7.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.08 DOP 63.1

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.91 DOP 53.0

18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$5.90 DOP 344

-30.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$10.76 DOP 628

-4.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.62 DOP 153

-34.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$3.13 DOP 182

-17.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.30 DOP 193

-1.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$2.21 DOP 129

12.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$5.80 DOP 338

-43.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.33 DOP 77.3

-1.50%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$27.0K DOP 1.6M

12.16%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$32.0K DOP 1.9M

-26.76%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$51.4 DOP 3,001

61.10%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$22.26 DOP 1,298

-0.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$36.52 DOP 2,130

-19.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$34.62 DOP 2,019

49.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.90 DOP 403

-26.52%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$272 DOP 15.8K

-26.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$8,228 DOP 479.9K

-36.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$59.4 DOP 3,462

-37.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$52.3 DOP 3,050

-23.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$94.6 DOP 5,516

-17.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$114 DOP 6,658

-23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$147 DOP 8,571

561.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$64.2 DOP 3,747

628.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$294 DOP 17.2K

457.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$147 DOP 8,560

731.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.9

-11.47%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Hato Mayor del Rey: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $147 in Hato Mayor del Rey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 in Hato Mayor del Rey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $236 – making Hato Mayor del Rey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Hato Mayor del Rey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 85%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,049 in Hato Mayor del Rey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hato Mayor del Rey, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $27.00 in Hato Mayor del Rey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Hato Mayor del Rey, where all-in costs run around $700, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Hato Mayor del Rey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hato Mayor del Rey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Hato Mayor del Rey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.