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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,130 in Hermanus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,789 in Hermanus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,448 in Hermanus.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 14% more expensive than Hermanus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Hermanus 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$13.87 R 233

-13.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$33.40 R 560

27.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.75 R 79.7

122.95%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.10 R 35.29

72.38%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.18 R 19.86

24.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.77 R 12.89

22.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.19 R 36.72

41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.59 R 43.49

72.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.11 R 18.60

28.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.00 R 16.83

88.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.56 R 26.22

4.49%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.45 R 41.16

7.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.68 R 129

6.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.48 R 75.2

85.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$6.78 R 114

63.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.68 R 28.26

57.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.54 R 25.82

-2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.53 R 25.64

30.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.64 R 27.54

26.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.38 R 23.06

29.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.19 R 19.96

83.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.09 R 18.20

-0.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.89 R 14.99

16.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.82 R 47.35

40.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.04 R 118

44.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.38 R 23.18

25.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.64 R 27.51

52.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.67 R 27.93

-68.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.14 R 19.12

175.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.95 R 15.94

152.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$3.92 R 65.8

-21.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.23 R 20.70

3.25%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$21.1K R 354.3K

46.18%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$23.6K R 395.6K

-1.16%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$128 R 2,150

-36.02%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$35.70 R 599

-37.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$52.7 R 883

-43.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$17.75 R 298

192.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$9.69 R 163

92.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.86 R 81.5

2.26%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$200 R 3,350

-0.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,273 R 71.7K

23.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$51.4 R 861

-29.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$32.60 R 547

22.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$90.0 R 1,509

-11.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$78.6 R 1,318

13.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$360 R 6,042

167.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$415 R 6,964

11.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$682 R 11.4K

134.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$919 R 15.4K

31.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$781 R 13.1K

404.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$691 R 11.6K

832.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.51

-0.78%

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 Hermanus: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $360 in Hermanus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Hermanus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $181 per month, with Hermanus 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 Hermanus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hermanus is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,694 in Hermanus to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $360 in Hermanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,130 in Hermanus – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,130 in Hermanus versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hermanus but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hermanus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hermanus is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Hermanus are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hermanus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.