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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,156 in Hermanus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,824 in Hermanus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,492 in Hermanus.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than Hermanus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Hermanus 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$14.09 R 228

-15.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$32.39 R 524

32.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.73 R 76.5

125.16%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.03 R 32.86

69.95%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.22 R 19.75

22.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.75 R 12.18

26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.20 R 35.53

37.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.54 R 41.01

81.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.12 R 18.07

23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.00 R 16.23

85.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.64 R 26.53

-1.83%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.51 R 40.60

3.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.51 R 121

9.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.46 R 72.2

87.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$6.87 R 111

55.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.60 R 25.80

64.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.46 R 23.65

2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.49 R 24.11

28.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.58 R 25.50

32.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.37 R 22.07

35.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.18 R 19.15

91.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.04 R 16.88

1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.91 R 14.68

19.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.87 R 46.37

44.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.16 R 116

45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.38 R 22.37

24.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.72 R 27.80

51.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.62 R 26.27

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.10 R 17.75

184.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.90 R 14.48

178.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$3.92 R 63.3

-19.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.25 R 20.14

1.60%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.3K R 344.8K

42.42%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$24.0K R 387.8K

-1.75%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$127 R 2,047

-34.45%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$34.50 R 558

-34.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$52.2 R 844

-43.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$17.59 R 284

189.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$9.58 R 155

91.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.62 R 74.8

6.71%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$200 R 3,229

-1.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,421 R 71.5K

19.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$50.4 R 815

-26.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$32.76 R 530

21.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$88.8 R 1,436

-9.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$80.3 R 1,298

11.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$368 R 5,955

159.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$418 R 6,750

14.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$687 R 11.1K

139.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$924 R 14.9K

32.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$886 R 14.3K

342.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$701 R 11.3K

821.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hermanus: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $368 in Hermanus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Hermanus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $180 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,734 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $368 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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,156 in Hermanus – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,156 in Hermanus versus $1,271 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 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.