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: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $510 in Horana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $834 in Horana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,157 in Horana.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 147% more expensive than 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

$11.67 MX$202

$3.96 LKR 1,254

194.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$24.96 LKR 7,900

67.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$8.59 LKR 2,718

21.07%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.66 LKR 840

35.71%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$0.68 LKR 215

116.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.40 LKR 128

127.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.31 LKR 732

31.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$3.25 LKR 1,029

37.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.78 LKR 562

-22.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$0.51 LKR 163

260.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$0.86 LKR 273

87.21%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.16 LKR 684

18.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$14.34 LKR 4,539

-40.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$4.77 LKR 1,508

77.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$7.95 LKR 2,518

38.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$7.68 LKR 2,430

-64.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.06 LKR 335

41.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$5.94 LKR 1,882

-67.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.19 LKR 378

78.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.16 LKR 367

60.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.37 LKR 432

58.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.19 LKR 377

-10.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.56 LKR 178

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$10.20 LKR 3,230

-58.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$12.40 LKR 3,924

-17.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$2.07 LKR 654

-19.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$3.00 LKR 949

-17.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$0.41 LKR 131

656.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.33 LKR 104

645.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$0.57 LKR 182

468.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.20 LKR 379

5.00%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$26.3K LKR 8.3M

14.65%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$35.1K LKR 11.1M

-33.30%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$60.4 LKR 19.1K

39.10%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$1.65 LKR 522

1246.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$5.07 LKR 1,605

484.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$3.25 LKR 1,029

52.31%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$36.75 LKR 11.6K

439.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$433 LKR 137.0K

1129.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$27.80 LKR 8,800

29.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$19.11 LKR 6,049

109.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$69.6 LKR 22.0K

13.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$38.83 LKR 12.3K

122.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Horana: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $0 in Horana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $25 in Horana. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $259, 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 $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $765 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 $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.75 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 $1,261 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.