Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hermosa Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,768 in Hermosa Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Hermosa Beach, CA, United States
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Hermosa Beach, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,768
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Hermosa Beach, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Hermosa Beach, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,768 in Hermosa Beach, CA, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Hermosa Beach, CA $2,768

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,202 in Hermosa Beach, CA, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Hermosa Beach, CA $4,202

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,636 in Hermosa Beach, CA, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Hermosa Beach, CA $5,636

Playa del Carmen is about 57% cheaper than Hermosa Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Hermosa Beach, CA is 105% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Hermosa Beach, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$199
$25.43 $25.43
-58.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$815
$119 $119
-63.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
$14.97 $14.97
-21.24%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.5
$5.79 $5.79
-34.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.14
$3.17 $3.17
-58.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.51
$2.42 $2.42
-65.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.6
$8.66 $8.66
-63.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.8
$9.92 $9.92
-50.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Hermosa Beach, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.35 $1.35
4.44%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.86
$4.81 $4.81
-54.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.40
$4.74 $4.74
-68.99%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.46
$5.61 $5.61
-55.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$11.08 $11.08
-34.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
$8.81 $8.81
-9.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
$20.37 $20.37
-36.87%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.9
$4.67 $4.67
-37.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.74
$2.30 $2.30
-40.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.35
$4.02 $4.02
-38.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.77
$5.63 $5.63
-63.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.68
$3.25 $3.25
-37.85%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.42
$2.78 $2.78
-31.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.30
$1.99 $1.99
-42.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.05
$2.54 $2.54
-51.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.5
$11.88 $11.88
-64.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$183
$15.13 $15.13
-35.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.51
$2.41 $2.41
-34.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.1
$2.72 $2.72
1.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Hermosa Beach, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.58
$2.15 $2.15
-76.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$510
$56.0 $56.0
-51.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.6
$3.73 $3.73
27.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.5
$2.24 $2.24
45.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
$38.62 $38.62
-86.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.44
$1.66 $1.66
-7.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.8K
$28.8K $28.8K
-26.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.9K
$26.1K $26.1K
-10.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Hermosa Beach, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,554
$221 $221
-62.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$80.4 $80.4
-71.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$514
$74.8 $74.8
-63.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Hermosa Beach, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,050
$39.34 $39.34
43.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$525
$14.91 $14.91
89.07%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.1
$18.59 $18.59
-73.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Hermosa Beach, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,854
$1,667 $1,667
-87.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.3K
$12.9K $12.9K
-59.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Hermosa Beach, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$809
$61.6 $61.6
-29.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$792
$48.69 $48.69
-12.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,354
$107 $107
-31.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,645
$104 $104
-15.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Hermosa Beach, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$1,578 $1,578
-36.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,116
$1,264 $1,264
-69.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.2K
$2,538 $2,538
-34.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$2,142 $2,142
-49.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.7K
$2,716 $2,716
43.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.2K
$2,634 $2,634
133.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Hermosa Beach, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
$7,065 $7,065
-88.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.31
81.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hermosa Beach, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Hermosa Beach, CA
$1.3K 230% $881
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Hermosa Beach, CA
$424 64.8% $167
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Hermosa Beach, CA
$403 101% $203
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Hermosa Beach, CA
$376 180% $242
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Hermosa Beach, CA
$144 29.9% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Hermosa Beach, CA
$77 15.2% $10
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Hermosa Beach, CA
$80 57.6% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,578 in Hermosa Beach, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hermosa Beach, CA are about 8.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $119 in Hermosa Beach, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $424 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇺🇸 Hermosa Beach, CA
🕒 Local time
05:29 5:29 AM
02:29 2:29 AM
3 h behind Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
19,728
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Hermosa Beach, CA 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Hermosa Beach, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Hermosa Beach, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Hermosa Beach, CA?
Yes – Hermosa Beach, CA is pricier by about 130%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,152 in Hermosa Beach, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,578 in Hermosa Beach, CA.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,667 in Hermosa Beach, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Hermosa Beach, CA?
Groceries cost about 65% more in Hermosa Beach, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Hermosa Beach, CA?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Hermosa Beach, CA at $2,768. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hermosa Beach, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Hermosa Beach, CA more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hermosa Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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