Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and La Ceiba

For one person, living is cheaper in La Ceiba: $727 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in La Ceiba
Learn more

La Ceiba Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

La Ceiba

🇭🇳 Honduras

$727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in La Ceiba

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 La Ceiba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $727 in La Ceiba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
La Ceiba $727

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,119 in La Ceiba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
La Ceiba $1,119

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,510 in La Ceiba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
La Ceiba $1,510

Playa del Carmen costs about 66% more than La Ceiba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and La Ceiba are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, La Ceiba 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$4.00 HNL 108

173.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$29.47 HNL 792

47.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$6.94 HNL 186

69.74%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$0.81 HNL 21.82

58.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.00 HNL 26.92

217.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$3.03 HNL 81.5

62.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$1.35 HNL 36.17

4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$1.53 HNL 41.06

45.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$1.85 HNL 49.65

-23.24%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$1.69 HNL 45.53

49.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$6.71 HNL 180

8.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$6.47 HNL 174

19.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$10.43 HNL 280

21.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$5.04 HNL 135

-44.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$1.24 HNL 33.27

70.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$1.64 HNL 44.01

18.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$1.85 HNL 49.58

2.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$0.78 HNL 21.01

47.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$0.63 HNL 16.81

87.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$2.60 HNL 69.9

65.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$14.18 HNL 381

-29.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$1.20 HNL 32.31

31.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$1.53 HNL 41.12

74.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.54 HNL 14.58

1.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$55.9 HNL 1,503

-52.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$1.09 HNL 29.27

355.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.80 HNL 48.42

85.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$3.75 HNL 101

42.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$1.11 HNL 29.72

29.73%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$18.7K HNL 501.5K

25.70%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$145 HNL 3,907

-41.70%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$32.74 HNL 880

-28.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$56.6 HNL 1,519

-49.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$31.40 HNL 844

81.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$22.55 HNL 606

28.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$3.41 HNL 91.5

50.73%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$255 HNL 6,861

-19.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$4,366 HNL 117.3K

-10.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$16.84 HNL 452

157.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$11.14 HNL 299

271.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$33.42 HNL 898

122.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$47.02 HNL 1,263

89.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$92.0 HNL 2,473

964.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$55.5 HNL 1,492

585.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$148 HNL 3,989

1050.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$130 HNL 3,489

727.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,094 HNL 29.4K

260.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

$748 HNL 20.1K

723.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$557 HNL 15.0K

31.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for La Ceiba: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

La Ceiba

$56 7.6% 85.4% $325

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

La Ceiba

$215 * 29.5% 15.7% $40

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

La Ceiba

$67 * 9.2% 66.8% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

La Ceiba

$235 32.3% 71.5% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

La Ceiba

$49 6.7% 56.3% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

La Ceiba

$38 5.3% 43.2% $29

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

La Ceiba

$68 9.4% 35.2% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $92 in La Ceiba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 32% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $29 in La Ceiba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $215 – making La Ceiba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇭🇳 La Ceiba

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

21:10 9:10 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

196,856

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Honduran Lempira HNL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HNL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 26.87 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 29.91 HNL (100 HNL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen La Ceiba 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
La Ceiba

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 La Ceiba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $727 in La Ceiba – La Ceiba comes out roughly 40% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,091 in La Ceiba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Ceiba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $92 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $29 in La Ceiba. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $727 in La Ceiba. That makes La Ceiba about 40% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in La Ceiba, where all-in costs run around $727, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In La Ceiba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $727 in La Ceiba to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with La Ceiba. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.