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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $822 in Hawassa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,230 in Hawassa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,638 in Hawassa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 57% more than Hawassa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Hawassa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Hawassa 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$4.41 ETB 689

170.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$35.09 ETB 5,484

21.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.58 ETB 1,029

60.94%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.23 ETB 193

194.31%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.64 ETB 100

129.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.43 ETB 67.5

118.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.02 ETB 160

202.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.97 ETB 464

50.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.39 ETB 218

2.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.34 ETB 209

40.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.03 ETB 161

58.25%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.60 ETB 251

65.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.21 ETB 1,127

13.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$13.92 ETB 2,175

-40.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$13.28 ETB 2,075

-16.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$6.76 ETB 1,057

-60.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.97 ETB 152

54.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.16 ETB 338

-7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.90 ETB 141

131.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.67 ETB 105

167.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.91 ETB 299

14.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.68 ETB 107

58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.63 ETB 98.1

65.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.02 ETB 629

-1.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$5.76 ETB 900

77.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.00 ETB 156

73.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.84 ETB 288

35.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.49 ETB 233

110.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.27 ETB 42.05

788.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$2.05 ETB 320

50.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.24 ETB 194

2.42%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$55.1K ETB 8.6M

-43.97%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$53.0K ETB 8.3M

-56.01%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$158 ETB 24.7K

-48.11%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$11.98 ETB 1,872

87.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$131 ETB 20.5K

-77.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.54 ETB 866

-10.29%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$81.7 ETB 12.8K

142.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$40.9K ETB 6.4M

-87.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$47.79 ETB 7,470

-23.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$75.0 ETB 11.7K

-46.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$92.5 ETB 14.5K

-13.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$116 ETB 18.2K

-23.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$503 ETB 78.5K

1183.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-32.82%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Hawassa: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $35.00 in Hawassa. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $258 in Hawassa – 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 Hawassa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $822 in Hawassa – roughly 57% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,232 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $35.00 in Hawassa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hawassa, where all-in costs run around $822, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $822 in Hawassa to $1,287 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.