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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $700 in Holetown, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,371 in Holetown, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,043 in Holetown, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 85% more than Holetown, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Holetown are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Holetown 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$12.58 BBD 25.16

-6.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$98.6 BBD 197

-57.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$14.73 BBD 29.46

-29.33%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$4.40 BBD 8.81

-17.95%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.53 BBD 3.05

-4.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$1.22 BBD 2.45

-20.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.02 BBD 4.04

44.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.97 BBD 5.95

55.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.97 BBD 3.94

-27.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.26 BBD 2.53

50.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$3.91 BBD 7.82

-59.85%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$7.01 BBD 14.02

-62.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$11.87 BBD 23.74

-28.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$12.25 BBD 24.50

-29.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$7.10 BBD 14.21

-61.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$7.58 BBD 15.16

-80.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$6.05 BBD 12.10

-68.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$2.55 BBD 5.10

-14.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$3.93 BBD 7.87

-52.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$2.91 BBD 5.83

-23.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$2.55 BBD 5.10

-57.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$2.44 BBD 4.89

-56.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$1.71 BBD 3.43

-67.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$29.50 BBD 59.0

-89.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$39.56 BBD 79.1

-91.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

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

$22.41 MX$386

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$74.8 BBD 150

-31.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$12.73 BBD 25.46

-59.47%

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

$202 MX$3,471

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$6,128 BBD 12.3K

-13.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Holetown: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $99.0 in Holetown. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $348 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Holetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, $700 in Holetown – roughly 85% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,050 in Holetown. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $99.0 in Holetown. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $700 in Holetown. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Holetown, where all-in costs run around $700, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. In Holetown it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen 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 $700 in Holetown to $1,294 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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