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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,694 in Hella, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,923 in Hella, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,152 in Hella, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 25% cheaper than Hella, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 7% below the global median, while Hella is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$29.93 ISK 3,645

-61.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$137 ISK 16.6K

-65.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$26.99 ISK 3,287

-55.98%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$6.87 ISK 837

-42.07%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$3.25 ISK 396

-56.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$3.21 ISK 392

-74.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$13.88 ISK 1,690

-77.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$12.29 ISK 1,497

-44.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.12 ISK 259

-20.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$4.32 ISK 526

-49.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$3.69 ISK 450

-53.66%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$7.01 ISK 854

-60.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$21.12 ISK 2,573

-54.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$24.72 ISK 3,011

-63.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$42.94 ISK 5,230

-70.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.35 ISK 408

-13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.92 ISK 356

-48.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$3.16 ISK 385

-31.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$6.25 ISK 762

-63.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$4.13 ISK 504

-52.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.66 ISK 202

19.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$3.81 ISK 465

-67.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.76 ISK 214

-31.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$13.87 ISK 1,690

-67.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$24.10 ISK 2,936

-56.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$3.79 ISK 462

-57.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$3.37 ISK 410

-14.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$6.79 ISK 827

-20.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.83 ISK 345

31.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$74.9 ISK 9,118

-92.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$2.02 ISK 246

-23.76%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

-55.61%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$54.3K ISK 6.6M

-52.03%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$88.2 ISK 10.7K

3.62%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$32.75 ISK 3,989

-23.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$83.8 ISK 10.2K

-62.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$19.68 ISK 2,396

-75.30%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$1,190 ISK 144.9K

-81.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$30.6K ISK 3.7M

-86.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$161 ISK 19.6K

-70.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$67.1 ISK 8,170

-33.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$182 ISK 22.1K

-55.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$252 ISK 30.6K

-63.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.88

28.94%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Hella: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $137 in Hella. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $627 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Hella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $1,694 in Hella – roughly 34% apart. Hella costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,541 in Hella. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,694 in Hella. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,190 in Hella. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Hella at $1,694. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hella 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen to $1,694 in Hella. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hella makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.