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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,366 in Hearst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,408 in Hearst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,450 in Hearst.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 47% less than in Hearst, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Hearst is 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$16.96 CA$23.23

-31.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$69.2 CA$94.8

-38.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$11.01 CA$15.08

-3.72%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.81 CA$5.22

-5.77%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$2.04 CA$2.79

-28.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$1.64 CA$2.25

-45.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$5.56 CA$7.61

-45.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$5.99 CA$8.21

-23.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$2.18 CA$2.98

-33.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$2.64 CA$3.62

-30.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$3.56 CA$4.87

-54.78%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$3.52 CA$4.82

-27.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$11.34 CA$15.53

-24.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$11.68 CA$16.00

-27.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$14.63 CA$20.04

-25.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$4.01 CA$5.49

-31.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$1.40 CA$1.92

6.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$3.71 CA$5.08

-47.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$3.77 CA$5.17

-42.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$2.41 CA$3.31

-23.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$2.53 CA$3.47

-13.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$2.58 CA$3.54

-58.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$1.70 CA$2.33

-36.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$13.85 CA$18.97

-70.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$14.63 CA$20.04

-28.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$2.95 CA$4.05

-44.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$3.03 CA$4.15

-15.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$2.30 CA$3.15

-75.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$63.0 CA$86.3

-58.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$3.25 CA$4.46

-3.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$1.50 CA$2.05

58.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$25.90 CA$35.48

-87.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.17 CA$1.61

11.97%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$24.8K CA$34.0K

23.00%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$20.3K CA$27.8K

17.55%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$142 CA$195

-41.62%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$44.44 CA$60.9

-50.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$63.7 CA$87.2

-53.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$42.17 CA$57.8

21.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$14.93 CA$20.45

25.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$11.55 CA$15.82

-57.66%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$745 CA$1,020

-73.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$11.6K CA$15.9K

-55.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$53.5 CA$73.3

-32.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$38.97 CA$53.4

1.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$87.3 CA$120

-7.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$109 CA$149

-19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$1,339 CA$1,834

-28.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$1,196 CA$1,638

-59.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$2,024 CA$2,773

-18.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$1,816 CA$2,488

-34.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$4,297 CA$5,887

-7.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$3,214 CA$4,403

102.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$3,300 CA$4,521

-77.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.46

76.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Last update for Hearst: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $1,339 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 354% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $69 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $368 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Hearst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Hearst differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,262 vs $2,366 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hearst earns 354% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,339 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 in Playa del Carmen versus $745 in Hearst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Hearst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,366 in Hearst, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hearst. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.