Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hong Kong Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hong Kong

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,817 in Hong Kong, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,330 in Hong Kong, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,842 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 55% cheaper than Hong Kong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Hong Kong is 111% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$8.76 HK$68.7

36.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$62.9 HK$494

-33.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$6.47 HK$50.7

61.05%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$5.20 HK$40.80

-32.50%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$1.28 HK$10.06

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.85

$1.09 HK$8.58

-16.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$6.85 HK$53.7

-55.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$6.49 HK$50.9

-32.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$2.99 HK$23.42

-52.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$2.28 HK$17.89

-19.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$1.95 HK$15.32

-16.41%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$3.38 HK$26.49

-24.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$25.12 HK$197

-65.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$10.31 HK$80.8

-17.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$22.51 HK$176

-52.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$3.50 HK$27.42

-21.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$2.25 HK$17.64

-36.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.84

$3.77 HK$29.59

-49.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$2.97 HK$23.25

-26.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$2.27 HK$17.82

-21.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$2.19 HK$17.18

1.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$1.77 HK$13.87

-39.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$1.65 HK$12.94

-34.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$12.90 HK$101

-67.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$17.39 HK$136

-39.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$1.77 HK$13.86

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.93

$2.64 HK$20.67

-2.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$1.68 HK$13.18

-69.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$63.9 HK$501

-59.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$3.76 HK$29.50

-14.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$1.34 HK$10.49

86.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$14.67 HK$115

-78.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$3.00 HK$23.54

-58.00%

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

$29.7K MX$516.7K

$38.4K HK$301.0K

-22.65%

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

$23.7K MX$412.2K

$32.6K HK$255.3K

-27.26%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$228 HK$1,790

-64.07%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$17.89 HK$140

27.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$22.80 HK$179

29.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$75.7 HK$594

-31.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$8.72 HK$68.4

111.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$12.49 HK$97.9

-60.53%

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

$202 MX$3,512

$1,005 HK$7,881

-79.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$21.4K HK$168.0K

-75.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$75.0 HK$588

-52.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$38.47 HK$302

4.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$89.7 HK$703

-10.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$141 HK$1,102

-36.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$2,197 HK$17.2K

-56.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,098

$1,569 HK$12.3K

-70.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$4,769 HK$37.4K

-65.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$3,070 HK$24.1K

-61.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.5K

$28.0K HK$219.7K

-85.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$17.5K HK$137.4K

-63.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$3,252 HK$25.5K

-79.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.97

187.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,197 in Hong Kong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 394% higher in Hong Kong, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $63.0 in Hong Kong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $416 – 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 Hong Kong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, $2,817 in Hong Kong – roughly 124% apart. Hong Kong costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,226 in Hong Kong. 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 $63.0 in Hong Kong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,259 in Playa del Carmen and $2,817 in Hong Kong. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,259, than in Hong Kong at $2,817. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong 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 $1,259 in Playa del Carmen to $2,817 in Hong Kong. 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.