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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,166 in Hermanus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,821 in Hermanus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,475 in Hermanus.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 12% more expensive than in Hermanus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Hermanus 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$13.55 R 218

-11.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$37.29 R 601

27.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.99 R 96.5

96.16%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.40 R 38.57

71.67%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.07 R 17.22

30.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.81 R 13.02

12.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.15 R 34.60

49.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.44 R 39.23

189.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.21 R 19.50

38.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.17 R 18.76

83.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.67 R 26.97

5.99%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.89 R 46.54

-2.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.80 R 142

4.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.27 R 84.8

75.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$6.48 R 104

95.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.79 R 28.86

64.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.72 R 27.76

-8.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.65 R 26.62

34.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.71 R 27.58

38.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.43 R 23.07

39.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.68 R 27.04

17.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.37 R 21.98

-9.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.36 R 21.92

-11.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.30 R 53.2

39.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.39 R 119

42.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.51 R 24.31

11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.03 R 32.65

36.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.72 R 27.68

-65.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$0.65 R 10.43

706.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.82 R 13.24

345.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$9.45 R 152

-38.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.46 R 23.56

5.48%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$31.7K R 509.9K

-27.98%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$34.4K R 553.6K

-24.91%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$143 R 2,296

-36.41%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$35.21 R 567

-28.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$42.48 R 684

-25.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$21.68 R 349

217.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$14.32 R 231

105.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.09 R 98.1

-20.20%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$282 R 4,534

-19.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$6,468 R 104.2K

-35.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$55.7 R 897

-14.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$38.35 R 618

13.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$107 R 1,726

-25.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$93.0 R 1,498

-1.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$421 R 6,785

157.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$370 R 5,956

10.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$817 R 13.2K

141.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$774 R 12.5K

65.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$881 R 14.2K

359.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$685 R 11.0K

879.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Hermanus: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $421 in Hermanus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Hermanus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $204 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 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,749 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $421 in Hermanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,166 in Hermanus – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,166 in Hermanus versus $1,305 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 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.