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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $862 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,338 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,813 in Howick.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 50% more expensive than Howick, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Howick 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.38 R 55.2

247.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$28.56 R 467

45.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.45 R 56.4

208.41%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.98 R 32.37

77.78%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.55 R 8.95

174.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.44 R 7.14

120.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.00 R 32.65

47.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.29 R 37.46

94.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.05 R 17.17

31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.81 R 13.17

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.13 R 18.55

45.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.18 R 35.68

15.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.96 R 81.0

68.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$2.26 R 37.00

269.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$4.93 R 80.5

117.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.49 R 24.37

74.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.09 R 17.78

33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.38 R 22.52

37.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.14 R 18.63

82.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.80 R 13.14

122.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.23 R 20.03

78.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.96 R 15.76

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.92 R 14.98

17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.17 R 51.8

28.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$4.89 R 80.0

111.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.15 R 18.82

48.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.10 R 18.03

134.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$1.64 R 26.78

-68.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.72 R 28.19

89.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.57 R 9.39

336.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$6.80 R 111

-52.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.25 R 20.41

4.80%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$14.0K R 229.1K

116.03%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$22.6K R 369.7K

3.60%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$147 R 2,400

-43.55%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$13.79 R 225

61.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$33.39 R 546

-12.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$31.06 R 508

66.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$5.66 R 92.6

-10.42%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$100 R 1,639

100.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$4,543 R 74.3K

14.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$42.71 R 698

-13.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$14.15 R 231

181.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$82.5 R 1,348

-4.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$44.83 R 733

94.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$369 R 6,035

163.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$330 R 5,396

41.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$682 R 11.1K

140.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$698 R 11.4K

74.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$980 R 16.0K

302.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$777 R 12.7K

735.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.01

-4.91%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Howick: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $369 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $135 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,294 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $369 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $100 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 $29.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $862 in Howick versus $1,297 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 50% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.