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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $506 in Homagama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $807 in Homagama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,107 in Homagama.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 156% more expensive than Homagama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Homagama 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.92 LKR 1,309

199.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$25.58 LKR 8,530

62.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.46 LKR 2,822

25.77%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.77 LKR 923

27.08%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.70 LKR 233

115.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.38 LKR 126

155.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.35 LKR 784

25.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.27 LKR 1,091

36.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.33 LKR 443

3.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.52 LKR 174

263.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.69 LKR 231

137.68%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.96 LKR 654

28.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$13.88 LKR 4,628

-39.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.08 LKR 1,360

104.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.25 LKR 2,751

30.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$7.38 LKR 2,461

-64.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.98 LKR 326

48.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$5.68 LKR 1,896

-66.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.22 LKR 405

70.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.10 LKR 366

61.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.03 LKR 343

112.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.19 LKR 397

-12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.48 LKR 159

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$9.96 LKR 3,323

-59.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$12.00 LKR 4,000

-14.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.99 LKR 663

-14.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.35 LKR 785

9.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.48 LKR 161

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.41 LKR 138

695.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.35 LKR 118

611.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$0.61 LKR 203

432.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.25 LKR 417

4.80%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$14.8K LKR 4.9M

104.99%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$23.4K LKR 7.8M

0.08%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$23.74 LKR 7,916

249.07%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$3.39 LKR 1,132

555.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$15.00 LKR 5,002

95.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$6.58 LKR 2,194

684.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$3.27 LKR 1,091

460.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$3.44 LKR 1,146

47.38%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$36.33 LKR 12.1K

452.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$435 LKR 145.2K

1097.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$27.34 LKR 9,118

35.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$13.49 LKR 4,498

194.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$26.85 LKR 8,955

192.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$30.38 LKR 10.1K

186.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$109 LKR 36.2K

796.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$50.6 LKR 16.9K

823.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$154 LKR 51.3K

331.34%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Homagama: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $109 in Homagama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 331% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Homagama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $242 per month, with Homagama 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 Homagama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Homagama is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 156% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 331% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $109 in Homagama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.33 in Homagama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Homagama – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $506 in Homagama versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Homagama but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Homagama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Homagama 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Homagama 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 Homagama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 156% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.