Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Humacao

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,563 in Humacao, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Humacao, Puerto Rico
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Humacao
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,563
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Humacao

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Humacao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,563 in Humacao, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Humacao $1,563

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,536 in Humacao, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Humacao $2,536

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,508 in Humacao, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Humacao $3,508

Playa del Carmen is about 23% cheaper than Humacao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Humacao is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Humacao
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$199
$12.09 $12.09
-11.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$815
$44.14 $44.14
-0.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
$8.92 $8.92
32.17%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.5
$3.54 $3.54
7.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.14
$1.77 $1.77
-26.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.51
$1.22 $1.22
-31.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.6
$2.30 $2.30
36.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.8
$3.04 $3.04
62.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Humacao
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$2.13 $2.13
-33.80%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.86
$2.97 $2.97
-25.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.40
$1.66 $1.66
-11.45%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.46
$7.53 $7.53
-66.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$12.29 $12.29
-40.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
$6.42 $6.42
23.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
$13.30 $13.30
-3.31%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.9
$3.18 $3.18
-8.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.74
$2.34 $2.34
-41.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.35
$3.88 $3.88
-35.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.77
$4.46 $4.46
-54.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.68
$2.95 $2.95
-31.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.42
$2.98 $2.98
-36.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.30
$3.27 $3.27
-65.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.05
$0.92 $0.92
34.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.5
$11.17 $11.17
-61.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$183
$9.93 $9.93
-1.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.51
$1.21 $1.21
31.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.1
$3.26 $3.26
-15.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Humacao
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.58
$1.03 $1.03
-50.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$510
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.6
$2.47 $2.47
92.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.5
$1.54 $1.54
111.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
$41.82 $41.82
-87.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.44
$0.89 $0.89
71.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.8K
$20.3K $20.3K
4.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.9K
$24.5K $24.5K
-5.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Humacao
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,554
$327 $327
-74.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$68.1 $68.1
-65.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$514
$69.2 $69.2
-60.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Humacao
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,050
$30.33 $30.33
86.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$525
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.1
$7.70 $7.70
-35.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Humacao
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,854
$822 $822
-74.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.3K
$10.5K $10.5K
-50.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Humacao
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$809
$55.7 $55.7
-22.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$792
$59.3 $59.3
-28.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,354
$98.7 $98.7
-26.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,645
$78.7 $78.7
12.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Humacao
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$593 $593
67.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,116
$376 $376
1.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.2K
$1,589 $1,589
5.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$1,150 $1,150
-6.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.7K
$3,827 $3,827
2.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.2K
$1,584 $1,584
287.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Humacao
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
$2,084 $2,084
-60.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.55
74.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Humacao: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Humacao
$376 1.6% $6.1
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Humacao
$336 30.4% $78
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Humacao
$196 2.4% $4.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Humacao
$464 246% $330
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Humacao
$132 18.3% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Humacao
$46 31.2% $21
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Humacao
$14 * 71.7% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $593 in Humacao. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Humacao are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $44 in Humacao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $336 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇵🇷 Humacao
🕒 Local time
21:18 9:18 PM
22:18 10:18 PM
1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
14,972
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Humacao 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Humacao

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Humacao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Humacao?
Yes – Humacao is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,345 in Humacao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Humacao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $593 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Humacao?
Groceries cost about 30% more in Humacao, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $822 in Humacao. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Humacao?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Humacao at $1,563. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Humacao it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Humacao?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,563 in Humacao. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Humacao makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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