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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,096 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,704 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,312 in Howick.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 19% more expensive than in Howick, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Howick 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$7.61 R 122

57.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$801

$39.44 R 631

20.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.68 R 90.8

106.87%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.7

$2.85 R 45.55

44.56%

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

$1.40 MX$23.66

$1.13 R 18.10

23.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.43

$0.95 R 15.15

-4.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.2

$2.57 R 41.15

24.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.60 R 41.65

171.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.35

$1.25 R 20.06

34.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.36

$1.07 R 17.12

100.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.00

$1.56 R 25.02

13.46%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.60

$2.46 R 39.39

14.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.59 R 137

7.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$5.35 R 85.6

72.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$7.24 R 116

74.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.90

$2.00 R 32.05

47.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.70

$1.99 R 31.77

-20.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.58

$2.05 R 32.80

8.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.96

$1.72 R 27.47

37.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.70

$1.60 R 25.53

24.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.47

$1.46 R 23.29

35.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.97

$1.26 R 20.15

-1.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.48

$1.24 R 19.83

-2.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.8

$3.82 R 61.2

20.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$5.01 R 80.2

109.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.60

$1.52 R 24.37

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.91

$1.98 R 31.76

39.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.19

$1.65 R 26.43

-63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.5

$0.49 R 7.88

969.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.7

$0.77 R 12.26

374.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.8

$7.97 R 128

-27.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.01

$1.39 R 22.22

10.79%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$36.6K R 585.1K

-37.64%

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

$25.8K MX$436.5K

$32.8K R 524.7K

-21.29%

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

$90.7 MX$1,533

$143 R 2,293

-36.71%

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

$25.19 MX$426

$15.71 R 251

60.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$537

$40.22 R 644

-21.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,163

$30.36 R 486

126.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$497

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.2

$7.10 R 114

-31.55%

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

$226 MX$3,816

$325 R 5,202

-30.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.9K

$7,921 R 126.7K

-47.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$801

$56.3 R 901

-15.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$735

$30.93 R 495

40.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,356

$101 R 1,610

-20.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,545

$89.5 R 1,432

2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$387 R 6,194

180.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,910

$391 R 6,249

4.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

$832 R 13.3K

137.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$750 R 12.0K

70.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.4K

$1,017 R 16.3K

297.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.4K

$667 R 10.7K

905.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.81

-3.05%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Howick: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $387 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $202 per month, with Howick 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 Howick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,644 in Howick 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $387 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $325 in Howick. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howick – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,096 in Howick versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Howick but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Howick the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Howick 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 Howick 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 Howick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.