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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $687 in Ho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,144 in Ho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,601 in Ho.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 84% more expensive than in Ho, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Ho 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.90 GHS 90.7

46.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$53.3 GHS 612

-11.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$10.67 GHS 122

11.34%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$4.62 GHS 53.0

-13.85%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.57 GHS 17.98

-8.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.45 GHS 5.15

82.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.85 GHS 21.25

72.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.25 GHS 25.82

201.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$3.76 GHS 43.16

-55.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.71 GHS 19.64

28.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$3.08 GHS 35.32

-44.48%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.67 GHS 30.65

2.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$12.37 GHS 142

-22.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$7.19 GHS 82.5

25.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.71 GHS 111

31.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.71 GHS 42.55

-22.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.41 GHS 16.23

6.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.79 GHS 20.54

20.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$3.56 GHS 40.89

-36.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.70 GHS 30.97

-26.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.70 GHS 31.05

-26.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.76 GHS 8.73

61.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.62 GHS 7.06

93.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.63 GHS 30.24

73.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.36 GHS 84.5

40.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.24 GHS 14.29

30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.37 GHS 27.18

21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.71 GHS 19.65

215.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.28 GHS 14.66

191.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$4.31 GHS 49.53

33.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.31 GHS 15.08

17.56%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$7,848 GHS 90.1K

187.32%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$9,778 GHS 112.2K

166.49%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$73.1 GHS 839

25.04%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$19.44 GHS 223

29.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$43.87 GHS 504

-28.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$13.01 GHS 149

-62.64%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$466 GHS 5,352

-52.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$18.5K GHS 211.8K

-77.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$14.54 GHS 167

223.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$19.15 GHS 220

131.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$37.60 GHS 432

113.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$53.8 GHS 617

72.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

26.75

-57.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ho: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $53.0 in Ho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $281 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Ho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Ho differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $687 including rent). Ho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,030 in Ho 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.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $466 in Ho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ho – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $687 in Ho versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ho but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ho 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 Ho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.