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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $874 in Hawassa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,228 in Hawassa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,583 in Hawassa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 52% more than Hawassa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Playa del Carmen and Hawassa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Hawassa 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$4.12 ETB 662

216.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$42.81 ETB 6,882

8.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$6.69 ETB 1,075

88.19%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$0.96 ETB 155

316.67%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.62 ETB 100

129.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.65 ETB 104

24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$0.83 ETB 133

267.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.20 ETB 354

210.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.11 ETB 178

54.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.20 ETB 193

85.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.01 ETB 163

70.30%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$1.52 ETB 244

78.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$7.30 ETB 1,174

28.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$10.02 ETB 1,611

-11.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$9.49 ETB 1,526

34.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$5.24 ETB 843

-40.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$0.69 ETB 111

124.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.16 ETB 348

-0.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$0.71 ETB 114

230.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.46 ETB 74.1

339.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.09 ETB 175

82.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.64 ETB 104

93.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.57 ETB 91.4

108.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$7.93 ETB 1,274

-41.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$5.58 ETB 897

87.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$0.70 ETB 113

125.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$1.28 ETB 206

128.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.31 ETB 211

306.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.27 ETB 43.12

1277.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$2.02 ETB 325

186.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$0.95 ETB 152

63.16%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$54.1K ETB 8.7M

-58.66%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$56.6K ETB 9.1M

-54.80%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$206 ETB 33.0K

-56.57%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$7.49 ETB 1,204

211.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$257 ETB 41.3K

-87.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$3.65 ETB 587

38.63%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$138 ETB 22.1K

61.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$30.8K ETB 4.9M

-86.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$32.72 ETB 5,260

41.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$72.2 ETB 11.6K

-38.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$80.0 ETB 12.9K

19.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$83.8 ETB 13.5K

10.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$491 ETB 78.9K

1249.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

18.5

-37.30%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Hawassa: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $43.00 in Hawassa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $206 – making Hawassa 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 Hawassa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, $874 in Hawassa – roughly 52% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,310 in Hawassa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen and $43.00 in Hawassa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hawassa, where all-in costs run around $874, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. In Hawassa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $874 in Hawassa to $1,330 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Hawassa. 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.