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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $582 in Hikkaduwa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,102 in Hikkaduwa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,621 in Hikkaduwa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 121% more expensive than Hikkaduwa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Hikkaduwa 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$4.04 LKR 1,286

195.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$25.16 LKR 8,016

69.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$8.40 LKR 2,677

26.07%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.65 LKR 844

36.60%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.70 LKR 222

110.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.32 LKR 101

193.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.30 LKR 732

34.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.26 LKR 1,039

36.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.67 LKR 533

-14.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.55 LKR 177

241.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$0.81 LKR 257

101.23%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.20 LKR 701

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$13.96 LKR 4,449

-41.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$4.71 LKR 1,500

76.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$7.95 LKR 2,532

39.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$7.41 LKR 2,362

-64.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$0.32 LKR 101

368.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.76 LKR 879

-27.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.02 LKR 325

103.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.11 LKR 354

61.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.36 LKR 115

505.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.18 LKR 377

-8.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.55 LKR 177

89.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$10.19 LKR 3,245

-61.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$12.31 LKR 3,923

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.10 LKR 669

-17.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.99 LKR 954

-16.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.32 LKR 102

62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.39 LKR 124

705.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.33 LKR 105

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$0.57 LKR 183

442.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.26 LKR 401

0.79%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$26.3K LKR 8.4M

17.49%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$34.2K LKR 10.9M

-31.76%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$59.4 LKR 18.9K

38.06%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$4.22 LKR 1,344

431.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$15.01 LKR 4,783

97.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$3.40 LKR 1,085

46.18%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$37.48 LKR 11.9K

427.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$448 LKR 142.8K

1076.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$27.91 LKR 8,893

30.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$19.04 LKR 6,066

110.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$69.8 LKR 22.2K

14.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$38.27 LKR 12.2K

132.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$170 LKR 54.2K

466.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$82.5 LKR 26.3K

463.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$1,663 LKR 529.7K

-3.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$512 LKR 163.1K

136.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.45

-30.58%

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 Hikkaduwa: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $170 in Hikkaduwa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Hikkaduwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $235 per month, with Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hikkaduwa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 121% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $874 in Hikkaduwa 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 $170 in Hikkaduwa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $582 in Hikkaduwa – a 121% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $582 in Hikkaduwa versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hikkaduwa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hikkaduwa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hikkaduwa 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.

Expats usually find Hikkaduwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.