Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lihue, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,194 in Lihue, HI, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,194

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Lihue, HI

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 Lihue, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,194 in Lihue, HI.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Lihue, HI $3,194

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,556 in Lihue, HI.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Lihue, HI $5,556

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $7,919 in Lihue, HI.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Lihue, HI $7,919

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 62% less than in Lihue, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Lihue, HI is 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$25.32 $25.32

-56.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$111 $111

-60.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$13.03 $13.03

-9.59%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$6.55 $6.55

-41.83%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$3.82 $3.82

-66.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$2.46 $2.46

-68.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$6.88 $6.88

-53.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$7.91 $7.91

-37.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.88 $1.88

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$6.56 $6.56

-66.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$2.81 $2.81

-49.47%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$10.19 $10.19

-75.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$15.42 $15.42

-52.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$15.17 $15.17

-49.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$20.13 $20.13

-36.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$4.78 $4.78

-41.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$3.33 $3.33

-58.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$8.59 $8.59

-70.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$10.13 $10.13

-79.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$5.05 $5.05

-61.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$6.33 $6.33

-70.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$12.17 $12.17

-64.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$15.81 $15.81

-37.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.70 $1.70

-7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.69 $1.69

57.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.97 $1.97

-72.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$52.9 $52.9

-49.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$7.88 $7.88

-36.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.90 $1.90

75.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$15.25 $15.25

-64.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.30 $1.30

10.77%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

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

$23.41 MX$436

$30.21 $30.21

-22.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$60.6 $60.6

-52.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$91.9 $91.9

-37.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$9.01 $9.01

-42.95%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$1,200 $1,200

-82.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$16.2K $16.2K

-75.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$2,353 $2,353

-58.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$2,000 $2,000

-80.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$5,245 $5,245

-67.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$4,812 $4,812

-77.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$1,987 $1,987

-63.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.69

71.15%

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 Lihue, HI: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Lihue, HI

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Lihue, HI

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Lihue, HI

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Lihue, HI

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Lihue, HI

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Lihue, HI

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Lihue, HI

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $2,353 in Lihue, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lihue, HI pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $111 in Lihue, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $519 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Lihue, HI

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

02:01 2:01 AM

5 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

8,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Lihue, HI 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Lihue, HI

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 Lihue, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Lihue, HI. 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, salaries run 63% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,353 in Lihue, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $3,194 in Lihue, HI – a 165% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 50% less than in Lihue, HI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,194 in Lihue, HI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lihue, HI. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Lihue, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.