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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $510 in Horana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $843 in Horana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,176 in Horana.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 147% more expensive than in Horana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Horana 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$3.96 LKR 1,331

201.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$731

$24.67 LKR 8,293

70.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$8.17 LKR 2,748

27.54%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.3

$2.63 LKR 884

33.46%

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

$1.52 MX$26.44

$0.72 LKR 243

111.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.88

$0.41 LKR 137

121.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.0

$2.39 LKR 803

27.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.2

$3.26 LKR 1,095

34.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.78

$1.76 LKR 592

-19.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.93

$0.56 LKR 190

226.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.51

$0.87 LKR 291

87.36%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$2.16 LKR 726

17.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$14.16 LKR 4,762

-39.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$4.55 LKR 1,531

86.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$7.87 LKR 2,645

37.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.04

$7.26 LKR 2,440

-62.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.05

$1.10 LKR 371

30.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.90

$5.92 LKR 1,990

-68.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$1.21 LKR 405

79.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.03

$1.14 LKR 384

56.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.79

$1.42 LKR 479

56.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.64

$1.20 LKR 404

-10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.83

$0.59 LKR 199

83.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.3

$9.98 LKR 3,356

-58.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$12.39 LKR 4,165

-15.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.40

$2.04 LKR 685

-14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.01

$2.94 LKR 988

-12.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.0

$0.38 LKR 129

744.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.64

$0.35 LKR 118

614.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.6

$0.62 LKR 208

414.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$1.25 LKR 421

0.80%

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

$29.7K MX$517.7K

$26.5K LKR 8.9M

11.89%

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

$23.7K MX$413.0K

$34.4K LKR 11.6M

-31.24%

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

$82.0 MX$1,430

$61.2 LKR 20.6K

33.97%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$1.72 LKR 577

1221.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$513

$5.12 LKR 1,721

474.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$910

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$3.44 LKR 1,156

43.31%

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

$202 MX$3,519

$36.68 LKR 12.3K

450.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.0K

$440 LKR 147.9K

1085.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$627

$27.75 LKR 9,329

29.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$703

$19.60 LKR 6,588

105.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,393

$70.8 LKR 23.8K

12.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,557

$38.27 LKR 12.9K

133.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,114

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Horana: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Horana. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 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 147% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,888 in Playa del Carmen and $766 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 $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.68 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $510 in Horana versus $1,259 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 147% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.