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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,320 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,876 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,431 in Hillcrest, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 5% cheaper than Hillcrest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Hillcrest are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Hillcrest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$7.78 R 128

50.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$28.38 R 467

47.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.06 R 83.3

107.71%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.91 R 31.48

87.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.87 R 14.25

73.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.67 R 11.10

37.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.00 R 32.96

48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.22 R 36.60

98.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.88 R 14.46

59.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.58 R 9.48

224.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.19 R 19.65

31.09%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.11 R 34.79

23.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.23 R 119

15.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.85 R 63.4

116.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$6.19 R 102

75.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.44 R 23.77

88.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.11 R 18.22

36.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.33 R 21.87

40.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.36 R 22.38

61.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.30 R 21.43

43.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.21 R 19.94

84.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.01 R 16.65

5.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.87 R 14.39

25.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.87 R 47.23

45.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$4.85 R 79.8

115.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.47 R 24.22

12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.77 R 29.15

47.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.62 R 26.59

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.65 R 27.22

86.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.59 R 9.71

306.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.75 R 111

-53.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.34 R 22.01

-2.24%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.4K R 335.5K

46.25%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$24.4K R 402.0K

-4.50%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$143 R 2,359

-43.28%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$29.41 R 484

-23.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$33.35 R 549

-9.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$30.76 R 506

72.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.76 R 111

-27.22%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$207 R 3,406

-2.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,558 R 75.0K

13.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$42.34 R 697

-15.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$30.39 R 500

32.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$95.1 R 1,565

-16.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$73.5 R 1,210

17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$361 R 5,944

170.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$679 R 11.2K

-30.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$684 R 11.3K

141.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$1,127 R 18.5K

6.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$904 R 14.9K

337.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$695 R 11.4K

850.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.01

-4.91%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hillcrest: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $361 in Hillcrest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.00 in Hillcrest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $155 – making Hillcrest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Hillcrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $1,320 in Hillcrest – roughly 5% apart. Hillcrest costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,980 in Hillcrest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $28.00 in Hillcrest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 63% cheaper in Hillcrest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,260, than in Hillcrest at $1,320. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hillcrest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,260 in Playa del Carmen to $1,320 in Hillcrest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hillcrest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.