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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,331 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,866 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,402 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

$11.87 MX$204

$7.60 R 123

56.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$27.98 R 452

53.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.98 R 80.5

113.86%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.90 R 30.80

81.58%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.87 R 14.02

72.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.67 R 10.91

41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.95 R 31.52

55.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.30 R 37.26

100.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.86 R 13.94

60.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.58 R 9.31

218.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.16 R 18.83

38.79%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.20 R 35.63

17.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.20 R 116

14.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.87 R 62.6

116.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$6.31 R 102

68.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.40 R 22.59

87.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.14 R 18.48

30.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.37 R 22.22

40.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.31 R 21.25

59.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.28 R 20.68

45.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.23 R 19.93

83.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.02 R 16.51

3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.80 R 12.99

36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.73 R 44.14

52.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$4.81 R 77.8

116.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.45 R 23.44

18.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.69 R 27.31

54.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.68 R 27.13

-67.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.72 R 27.82

81.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.61 R 9.91

311.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.55 R 106

-51.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.28 R 20.64

-0.78%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$20.0K R 323.5K

51.80%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$24.1K R 390.4K

-2.41%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$143 R 2,305

-41.79%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$28.87 R 467

-21.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$34.08 R 551

-13.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$30.93 R 500

64.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.60 R 107

-25.30%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$206 R 3,323

-4.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,576 R 74.0K

15.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$42.77 R 691

-13.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$30.52 R 493

30.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$95.4 R 1,542

-16.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$74.1 R 1,198

20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$365 R 5,900

162.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$681 R 11.0K

-29.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$690 R 11.2K

138.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,142 R 18.5K

7.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$969 R 15.7K

304.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$674 R 10.9K

858.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hillcrest: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $365 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.00 in Hillcrest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $154 – 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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $1,331 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,996 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 $43.00 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 62% 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 $1,271, than in Hillcrest at $1,331. 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen to $1,331 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.