Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Port-au-Prince

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,315 in Port-au-Prince, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Port-au-Prince outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Port-au-Prince
🇭🇹 Haiti
$1,315
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Port-au-Prince

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 Port-au-Prince actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,315 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Port-au-Prince $1,315

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,067 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Port-au-Prince $2,067

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,819 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Port-au-Prince $2,819

Playa del Carmen is about 8% cheaper than Port-au-Prince, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Port-au-Prince are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Port-au-Prince 3% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Port-au-Prince
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
-
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$813
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.4
-
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.03
-
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.67
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.3
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.5
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Port-au-Prince
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$3.11 HTG 405
-54.66%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.54
$2.74 HTG 358
-18.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.56
$2.25 HTG 294
-36.89%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.27
$5.47 HTG 713
-53.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$6.02 HTG 786
20.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$6.13 HTG 799
25.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$9.79 HTG 1,277
29.62%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.2
$4.33 HTG 564
-35.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.64
$1.59 HTG 208
-13.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.80
$1.23 HTG 160
107.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.78
$2.34 HTG 306
-9.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.32
$5.39 HTG 703
-64.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.34
$2.10 HTG 274
-10.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.49
$1.49 HTG 194
-22.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.09
$1.37 HTG 179
-13.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.5
$1.49 HTG 194
188.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$186
$15.50 HTG 2,022
-35.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.67
$1.65 HTG 216
-4.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$2.37 HTG 310
12.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Port-au-Prince
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.37
$0.20 HTG 26.21
175.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$499
$19.68 HTG 2,568
35.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.1
$0.40 HTG 51.7
1142.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.4
$0.42 HTG 54.3
692.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$100
$20.10 HTG 2,622
-73.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.06
$1.11 HTG 145
29.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$387.3K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$439.7K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Port-au-Prince
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,589
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$50.4 HTG 6,575
-53.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$537
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Port-au-Prince
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,069
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$542
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.3
$10.15 HTG 1,324
-49.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Port-au-Prince
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,871
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.6K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Port-au-Prince
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$812
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$777
$76.1 HTG 9,926
-45.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,390
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,672
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Port-au-Prince
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$904 HTG 117.9K
8.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,136
$885 HTG 115.4K
-56.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.0K
$2,144 HTG 279.6K
-20.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.1K
$1,861 HTG 242.7K
-42.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.9K
$1,708 HTG 222.9K
130.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.4K
$1,486 HTG 193.8K
314.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Port-au-Prince
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
0
-

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 Port-au-Prince: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Port-au-Prince
–
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Port-au-Prince
–
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Port-au-Prince
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Port-au-Prince
–
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Port-au-Prince
–
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Port-au-Prince
–
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Port-au-Prince
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $904 in Port-au-Prince. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇭🇹 Port-au-Prince
🕒 Local time
16:54 4:54 PM
16:54 4:54 PM
Same time as Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
1,275,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HTG, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Haitian Gourde exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 130 HTG (1,000 HTG = 7.67 USD). 1 EUR = 146 HTG (1,000 HTG = 6.84 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Port-au-Prince 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Port-au-Prince

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 Port-au-Prince: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Port-au-Prince?
Yes – Port-au-Prince is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,972 in Port-au-Prince. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Port-au-Prince?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $904 in Port-au-Prince. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Port-au-Prince?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Port-au-Prince, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 26% less in Port-au-Prince. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 enough for either Playa del Carmen or Port-au-Prince?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,315 in Port-au-Prince, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Port-au-Prince?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,315 in Port-au-Prince. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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