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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $522 in Horana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $841 in Horana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,160 in Horana.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 144% more expensive than Horana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Horana 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$3.92 LKR 1,321

202.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$24.66 LKR 8,312

73.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$8.23 LKR 2,772

29.40%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$2.68 LKR 902

28.73%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$0.73 LKR 244

105.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.41 LKR 137

131.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$2.28 LKR 769

32.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$3.42 LKR 1,153

34.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$1.73 LKR 582

-20.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.56 LKR 190

230.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$0.87 LKR 294

85.06%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$2.22 LKR 748

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$14.06 LKR 4,737

-41.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$4.72 LKR 1,592

77.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$8.02 LKR 2,703

32.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$7.31 LKR 2,465

-64.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$1.11 LKR 374

34.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$5.77 LKR 1,944

-66.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$1.26 LKR 425

65.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$1.11 LKR 373

67.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$1.36 LKR 458

66.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$1.18 LKR 399

-10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$0.59 LKR 199

84.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$10.19 LKR 3,434

-59.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$12.50 LKR 4,214

-16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$2.03 LKR 685

-15.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$2.87 LKR 968

-9.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$0.38 LKR 128

723.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$0.33 LKR 110

660.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$0.56 LKR 190

462.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$1.25 LKR 422

1.60%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$26.5K LKR 8.9M

14.70%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$34.5K LKR 11.6M

-31.61%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$59.3 LKR 20.0K

40.01%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$1.71 LKR 575

1228.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$5.14 LKR 1,732

473.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$3.31 LKR 1,116

48.94%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$37.10 LKR 12.5K

431.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$449 LKR 151.4K

1075.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$27.86 LKR 9,390

32.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$19.55 LKR 6,590

104.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$69.9 LKR 23.6K

14.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$38.27 LKR 12.9K

133.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

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 7, 2026

Last update for Horana: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Horana. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $256, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Horana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Horana is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 144% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $782 in Horana 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 $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.10 in Horana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Horana – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $522 in Horana versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Horana but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Horana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Horana 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.

Expats usually find Horana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.