Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Havana

For one person, living is cheaper in Havana: $863 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Havana
Learn more

Havana Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Havana

🇨🇺 Cuba

$863

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Havana

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Havana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $863 in Havana.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Havana $863

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,391 in Havana.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Havana $1,391

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,919 in Havana.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Havana $1,919

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 40% more expensive than in Havana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Havana 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$206

$3.71 CUP 89.2

194.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$819

$28.01 CUP 672

54.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$223

$4.92 CUP 118

139.43%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$72.0

$1.05 CUP 25.18

262.86%

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

$1.28 MX$24.23

$1.59 CUP 38.22

-19.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.79

$0.99 CUP 23.69

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.8

$1.17 CUP 27.98

170.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$93.2

$1.96 CUP 47.03

151.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.57

$2.71 CUP 65.1

-47.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.88

$1.41 CUP 33.74

57.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.78

$1.72 CUP 41.17

-17.44%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.66

$3.57 CUP 85.7

-29.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$4.36 CUP 105

66.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$4.60 CUP 110

67.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$240

$8.27 CUP 198

53.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.6

$5.93 CUP 142

-53.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.85

$1.06 CUP 25.50

29.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$48.19

$3.85 CUP 92.5

-33.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$40.11

$2.26 CUP 54.3

-6.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.62

$2.94 CUP 70.6

-34.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.63

$2.68 CUP 64.3

-29.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.66

$0.78 CUP 18.80

47.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.27

$0.57 CUP 13.60

107.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$81.2

$1.68 CUP 40.30

155.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$188

$5.27 CUP 126

88.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.91

$1.70 CUP 40.85

-7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.5

$2.05 CUP 49.14

30.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.45

$0.68 CUP 16.22

-19.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$503

$22.84 CUP 548

16.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.9

$2.57 CUP 61.6

93.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.9

$0.34 CUP 8.08

879.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$19.98 CUP 480

-73.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.28

$1.33 CUP 31.90

8.27%

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

$20.7K MX$390.4K

$59.8K CUP 1.4M

-65.45%

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

$23.5K MX$443.3K

$59.3K CUP 1.4M

-60.40%

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

$84.8 MX$1,602

$46.59 CUP 1,118

81.99%

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

$23.41 MX$442

$39.68 CUP 952

-41.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$541

$91.6 CUP 2,198

-68.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,078

$16.27 CUP 391

250.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$546

$12.90 CUP 310

124.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$97.1

$0.87 CUP 20.84

490.80%

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

$207 MX$3,903

$158 CUP 3,798

30.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$74.2K

$12.7K CUP 303.8K

-68.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$819

$52.3 CUP 1,256

-17.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$783

$41.42 CUP 994

0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,402

$80.3 CUP 1,926

-7.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,686

$67.6 CUP 1,622

32.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.5K

$243 CUP 5,832

303.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,195

$218 CUP 5,244

74.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.3K

$884 CUP 21.2K

93.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.3K

$504 CUP 12.1K

113.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.5K

$304 CUP 7,288

1198.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$116.3K

$395 CUP 9,473

1460.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.9K

$28.52 CUP 685

2475.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.1

25.82%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Havana: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Havana

$218 25.3% 42.6% $162

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Havana

$233 27% 8.4% $22

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Havana

$77 8.9% 61.9% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Havana

$178 20.6% 30% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Havana

$109 12.6% 2.7% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Havana

$18 2.1% 73.2% $49

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Havana

$30 3.5% 41% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $243 in Havana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 26 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $28 in Havana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $233 per month, with Havana cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇺 Havana

🕒 Local time

16:35 4:35 PM

17:35 5:35 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,141,993 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.29 USD

100 MXN = 4.73 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 18.89 MXN (100 MXN = 5.29 USD). 1 EUR = 21.16 MXN (100 MXN = 4.73 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.88 CUP (100 CUP = 3.72 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Playa del Carmen Havana 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Havana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $863 in Havana, so Havana is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Playa del Carmen is about 26 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $243 in Havana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Havana – a meal for two runs $28 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $863 in Havana – Havana is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $863 in Havana versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Havana but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Havana 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 Havana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.