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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,521 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,721 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,921 in Hulhumale.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 16% less than in Hulhumale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Hulhumale is 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.38 MVR 83.0

120.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$29.74 MVR 459

44.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.59 MVR 148

11.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MVR 68.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 MVR 58.4

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.94 MVR 45.30

17.35%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.27 MVR 19.58

18.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.27 MVR 4.19

251.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.81 MVR 27.90

-23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.57 MVR 24.15

17.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.31 MVR 4.71

419.35%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.53 MVR 23.60

69.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.22 MVR 127

0.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.11 MVR 94.2

36.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.65 MVR 133

23.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$4.01 MVR 61.8

-34.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$3.73 MVR 57.5

-60.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$4.39 MVR 67.7

-56.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$3.22 MVR 49.66

-35.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.55 MVR 23.96

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.23 MVR 18.96

83.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$3.13 MVR 48.29

-66.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.50 MVR 7.68

118.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.23 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.00 MVR 154

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$8.34 MVR 129

-50.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.98 MVR 30.56

58.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.92 MVR 29.68

30.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$9.52 MVR 147

-66.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.96 MVR 14.84

32.29%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.6K MVR 502.3K

-6.77%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$34.4K MVR 530.5K

-31.50%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$107 MVR 1,650

-22.41%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$42.13 MVR 650

-46.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$42.52 MVR 656

-30.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$65.1 MVR 1,004

-21.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$9.52 MVR 147

-48.21%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$160 MVR 2,460

23.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,594 MVR 55.4K

46.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$45.16 MVR 696

-18.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$56.3 MVR 868

-29.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$88.7 MVR 1,368

-9.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$53.4 MVR 823

67.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$1,294 MVR 20.0K

-26.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$768 MVR 11.8K

-37.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$2,918 MVR 45.0K

-43.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$2,283 MVR 35.2K

-46.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$5,384 MVR 83.0K

-27.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$494 MVR 7,620

1207.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$710 MVR 10.9K

-6.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.4

-7.90%

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 Hulhumale: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $1,294 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Hulhumale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $224 per month, with Hulhumale 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 Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Hulhumale. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Hulhumale earns 6% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,294 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $160 in Hulhumale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $30.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,521 in Hulhumale, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hulhumale. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,271 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Hulhumale 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.