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 $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $808 in Hawassa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,210 in Hawassa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,613 in Hawassa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 60% more than Hawassa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Hawassa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Hawassa 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$4.46 ETB 705

163.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$34.56 ETB 5,460

20.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$6.62 ETB 1,046

57.25%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$1.27 ETB 201

184.25%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.67 ETB 106

117.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.47 ETB 73.7

106.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.03 ETB 162

183.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.95 ETB 467

56.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.44 ETB 228

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.34 ETB 212

41.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.01 ETB 160

55.45%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$1.52 ETB 240

73.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$6.94 ETB 1,097

21.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$14.00 ETB 2,213

-38.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$13.05 ETB 2,062

-15.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$6.76 ETB 1,068

-60.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.02 ETB 162

48.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$2.25 ETB 355

-15.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$0.93 ETB 146

133.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$0.67 ETB 106

179.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.84 ETB 291

21.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.69 ETB 109

56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.63 ETB 100

69.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$4.07 ETB 642

2.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$5.53 ETB 874

86.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.00 ETB 158

68.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$1.89 ETB 298

33.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$1.49 ETB 236

114.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.29 ETB 46.36

748.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$2.02 ETB 319

58.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.29 ETB 204

2.33%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$55.4K ETB 8.7M

-45.54%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$54.5K ETB 8.6M

-57.09%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$162 ETB 25.6K

-49.83%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$11.77 ETB 1,860

90.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$129 ETB 20.4K

-76.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$5.76 ETB 909

-10.42%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$80.4 ETB 12.7K

150.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$39.9K ETB 6.3M

-86.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$47.00 ETB 7,426

-24.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$74.7 ETB 11.8K

-45.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$94.0 ETB 14.8K

-16.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$112 ETB 17.7K

-22.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$506 ETB 80.0K

1178.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Hawassa: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $35.00 in Hawassa. Groceries tell a different story – $254 in Playa del Carmen vs $257 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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, $808 in Hawassa – roughly 60% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,212 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 $42.00 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 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hawassa, where all-in costs run around $808, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. 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 $808 in Hawassa to $1,294 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.