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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $713 in Hato Mayor del Rey, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,139 in Hato Mayor del Rey, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,565 in Hato Mayor del Rey, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 76% 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 6% lower, Hato Mayor del Rey 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$2.84 DOP 166

322.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$26.65 DOP 1,554

56.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$6.56 DOP 383

63.87%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$0.88 DOP 51.0

297.73%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.50 DOP 29.08

190.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.49 DOP 28.49

79.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$2.54 DOP 148

16.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$3.47 DOP 202

29.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.13 DOP 66.0

26.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.74 DOP 101

5.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.58 DOP 91.9

-0.63%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.20 DOP 69.8

109.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$7.06 DOP 412

17.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$6.31 DOP 368

33.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$10.88 DOP 634

-1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$3.34 DOP 195

-21.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$0.92 DOP 53.5

56.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$2.93 DOP 171

-33.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$2.00 DOP 117

4.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$2.56 DOP 149

-27.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$2.32 DOP 135

-6.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.12 DOP 65.4

-8.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.97 DOP 56.6

10.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$5.62 DOP 328

-27.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$17.00 DOP 991

-40.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.72 DOP 159

-38.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$3.17 DOP 185

-20.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$3.33 DOP 194

-3.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$2.10 DOP 123

14.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$6.02 DOP 351

-46.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.28 DOP 74.6

3.13%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$26.0K DOP 1.5M

14.01%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$31.4K DOP 1.8M

-24.75%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$51.9 DOP 3,027

57.98%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$22.90 DOP 1,335

0.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$36.11 DOP 2,106

-16.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$33.45 DOP 1,950

55.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$6.71 DOP 391

-25.78%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$268 DOP 15.6K

-26.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$8,063 DOP 470.1K

-33.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$60.5 DOP 3,528

-41.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$52.0 DOP 3,031

-22.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$97.0 DOP 5,656

-18.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$116 DOP 6,763

-23.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$143 DOP 8,343

561.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$64.0 DOP 3,731

640.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$292 DOP 17.0K

462.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$145 DOP 8,440

736.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Hato Mayor del Rey: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $143 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. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $251 in Hato Mayor del Rey – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 76%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,070 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Hato Mayor del Rey, where all-in costs run around $713, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.